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LUCIA RUD1NJ 

SOMEWHERE IN ITALY 




















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“My pet, see how you frightened the brave Austrian soldi / 

( Page 74) Frontisi 1 


LUCIA RUDINI 

1 

SOMEWHERE IN ITALY 


BY 

MARTHA TRENT 


ILLUSTRATED BY 

CHAS. L. WRENN 


NEW YORK 
BARSE & HOPKINS 
PUBLISHERS 



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Copyright, 1918 
by 

Barse & Hopkins 



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©CLA488395 


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DEDICATED TO 

R. J. U. 



CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I Cellino 11 

II Maria 22 

III Before Daybreak 34 

IV Lost 54 

V In the Tool Shed 71 

VI Garibaldi Performs 78 

VII The Beggar 85 

VIII The Surprise Attack 95 

IX The Bridge 103 

X Garibaldi, Stretcher-bearer .... 117 

XI The American 125 

XII A Reunion 135 

XIII An Interrupted Dream 144 

XIV The Fairy Godfather 153 

XV Exciting News 161 

XVI The King 170 

XVII Good-by to Cellino 177 

XVIII In the Garden 188 

XIX Back to Fight 198 

XX An Interrupted Sail ...... 207 

XXI The End of the Story ...... 218 












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ILLUSTRATIONS 


4 4 My pet, see how you frightened the brave Aus- 
trian soldier’ ” Frontispiece 

PAGE 

‘The Soldiers came and chattered and laughed” . 25 * 

4 Together they drove the goats before them ” . . 35 ' 

‘Lucia and Garibaldi toiled up the hill, each one 
using every bit of their strength” 127 



LUCIA RUDINI 


CHAPTER I 

CELLINO 

L UCIA EUDINI folded her arms across her 
gaily-colored bodice, tilted her dark head 
to one side and laughed. 

‘ 6 1 see you, little lazy bones, ’ ’ she said. ‘ ‘ Wake 
up!” 

A small body curled into a ball in the grass at 
her feet moved slightly, and a sleepy voice whim- 
pered, “Oh, Lucia, go away. I was having such 
a nice dream about our soldiers up there, and I 
was just killing a whole regiment of Austrians, 
and now you come and spoil it.” 

A curly black head appeared above the tops 
of the flowers, and two reproachful brown eyes 
stared up at her. 

Lucia laughed again. “Poor Beppino, some 


11 


12 


LUCIA KUDINI 


one is always disturbing your fine dreams, aren’t 
they? But come now, I have something far bet- 
ter than dreams for you,” she coaxed. 

“What?” Beppi was on his feet in an instant, 
and the sleepy look completely disappeared. 

“Ha, ha, now you are curious,” Lucia teased, 
“aren’t you? Well, you shan’t see what I have, 
until you promise to do what I ask. ’ ’ 

Beppi ’s round eyes narrowed, and a cunning 
expression appeared in their velvety depth. 

“I suppose I am not to tell Nana that you left 
the house before sunrise this morning,” he said. 

Lucia looked at him for a brief moment in 
startled surprise, then she replied quickly, “No, 
that is not it at all. What harm would it do if you 
told Nana? I am often up before sunrise.” 

“Yes, but you don’t go to the mountains,” 
Beppi interrupted. “Oh, I saw you walking 
smack into the guns. What were you doing?” 
He dropped his threatening tone, so incongruous 
with his tiny body, and coaxed softly, “please tell 
me, sister mine. ’ ’ 

“Silly head!” Lucia was breathing freely again, 


CELLINO 


13 


“ there is nothing to tell. I heard the guns all 
night, and they made me restless, so I went for a 
walk. Go and tell Nana if you like, I don’t care.” 

“Beppi’s small mind returned to the subject at 
hand. 

“Then if it isn’t that, what is it you want me 
to do?” he inquired, and continued without 
giving his sister time to reply. “It’s to take care 
of them, I suppose,” he grumbled, pointing a 
browned berry-stained little finger at a herd of 
goats that were grazing contentedly a little farther 
down the slope. 

“Yes, that’s it, and good care of them too,” 
Lucia replied. “You are not to go to sleep again, 
remember, and be sure and watch Garibaldi, or she 
will stray away and get lost. ’ ’ 

“And a good riddance too,” Beppi commented 
under his breath. 

He did not share in the general admiration for 
the “Illustrious and Gentile Senora Garibaldi,” 
the favorite goat of his sister’s herd. Perhaps 
the vivid recollection of Garibaldi’s hard head 
may have accounted for his aversion. Lucia 


14 LUCIA RUDINI 

heard his remark and was quick to defend her 
pet. 

“Aren’t you ashamed to speak so?” she ex- 
claimed, “I’ve a good mind not to give you the 
candy after all.” 

1 ‘ Oh, Lucia, please, please ! ’ ’ Beppi begged. 1 i I 
will take such good care of them, I promise, and 
if you like, I will pick the tenderest grass for old 
crosspatch,” he added grudgingly. 

Lucia smiled in triumph, and from the pocket of 
her dress she pulled out a small pink paper bag. 

“Here you are then,” she said; “and I won’t 
be away very long. I am just going to see Maria 
for a few minutes.” 

Beppi caught the bag as she tossed it, and lin- 
gered over the opening of it. He wanted to pro- 
long his pleasure as long as possible. Candy in 
war times was a treat and one that the Rudinis 
seldom indulged in. 

As if to echo his thoughts, Lucia called back over 
her shoulder as she walked away, “Don’t eat 
them fast, for they are the last you will get for a 
long time.” 


CELLINO 


15 


Beppi did not bother to reply, but he acted on 
the advice, and selected a big lemon drop that 
looked hard and everlasting, and set about suck- 
ing it contentedly. 

Lucia walked quickly over the grass to a small 
white-washed cottage a little distance away. She 
approached it from the side and peeked through 
one of the tiny windows. Old Nana Rudini, her 
grandmother, was sitting in a low chair beside the 
table in the low-ceilinged room. Her head nodded 
drowsily, and the white lace that she was making 
lay neglected in her lap. Lucia smiled to herself 
in satisfaction and stole gently away from the 
window. 

The Rudinis lived about a mile beyond the 
north gate of Cellino, an old Italian town built 
on the summit of a hill. Cellino was not suffi- 
ciently important to appear in the guide books, but 
it boasted of two possessions above its neighbors, 
— a beautiful old church opposite the market 
place, and a broad stone wall that dated back to 
the days of Roman supremacy. It was still in 
perfect preservation, and completely surrounded 


16 


LUCIA RUDINI 


the town giving it the appearance of a mediaeval 
fortress, rather than a twentieth century village. 
Two roads led to it, one from the south through 
the Porto Romano, and one from the north, 
up-hill and from the valley below. It was up 
the latter that Lucia walked. She was in 
a hurry and she swung along with a firm, 
graceful step, her head, crowned by its heavy 
dark hair, held high and her shoulders 
straight. 

The soldier on guard at the gate watched her 
as she drew nearer. She was a pleasing picture 
in her bright-colored gown against the glaring sun 
on the dusty white road. Roderigo Vicello had 
only arrived that morning in Cellino, and Lucia 
was not the familiar little figure to him that she 
was to the other soldiers. But she was none the 
less welcome for that, after the monotony of the 
day, and Roderigo as she came nearer straight- 
ened up self-consciously and tilted his black patent 
leather hat with its rakish cluster of cock feathers 
a little more to one side. 

“Good day, Senorina,” he said smiling, as Lucia 


CELLINO 17 

paused in the grateful shadow of the wall to catch 
her breath. 

“Good day to you,” she replied good-naturedly. 
“You’re new, aren’t you? I never saw you be- 
fore. Where is Paolo?” 

“Paolo and his regiment go up to the fiont this 
afternoon,” Roderigo replied. “We have just 
come to relieve them for a short time, then we 
too will follow.” 

Lucia nodded. “You come from the south, 
don’t you?” she inquired, looking at him with 
frank admiration; “from near Napoli I should 
guess by your speech.” 

Roderigo laughed. “You guess right, I do, and 
now it is my turn to ask questions. Where do 
you come from?” 

“Down there about a mile,” Lucia pointed, “in 
the white cottage by the road.” 

Roderigo looked at the dark hair and eyes and 
the gaudily colored dress before him, and shook 
his head. 

“Now perhaps,” he admitted, “but you were 
born in the south where the sun really shines and 


18 


LUCIA RUDINI 


the sky is blue and not a dull gray, or else where 
did you come by those eyes and those straight 
shoulders ? ’ ’ 

Lucia looked up at the dazzling sky above her 
and laughed. 

“And I suppose that spot is Napoli,” she 
teased. “Well, you don’t guess as well as I do, 
for I was born here and I have lived here all my 
life.” 

“ ‘All my life,’ ” Roderigo mimicked. “How 
very long you make that sound, Sehorina, and yet 
you look no older than my little sister.” 

Lucia drew herself up to her full height and did 
not deign a direct reply. 

“Fourteen years is a long time, Senor,” she 
said gravely, “when you have many worries.” 

“But you are too young to have many wor- 
ries,” Roderigo protested; “or I beg your par- 
don, perhaps you have some one up there?” he 
pointed to the north, where the high peaks of the 
Alps were visible at no great distance. 

“No, not now,” Lucia replied; “for my father 
was killed a year ago.” 


CELLINO 19 

Roderigo was silent for a little, then he raised 
one shoulder in a characteristic shrug. 

“War,” he said slowly. “We all have our 
turn.” 

Lucia nodded and returned almost at once to her 
gay mood. 

“But you are still wondering how I got my 
black hair and eyes up here,” she laughed. 
“Well, I will tell you. My mother came from 
your beautiful Napoli, and Nana, that is my 
grandmother, says I inherited my foolish love of 
gay clothes from her. Nana does not like gay 
clothes, but my father always liked me to wear 
them.” 

“Then your mother is dead too?” Roderigo 
asked respectfully. 

“When I was a little girl, and when Beppino 
was a tiny baby. Beppi is my little brother,” 
Lucia explained. 

Roderigo ’s eyes were shining with delight. 
There was something in Lucia’s soft tones that 
filled his homesick heart with joy. She was so 
different from most of the girls from the north, 


20 


LUCIA RUDINI 


with their strange high voices and unfriendly man- 
ners. If she wasn’t exactly from the south she 
was near it. He wanted to sit down beside her 
and tell her all about his home and his family, for 
he was very young and very homesick, but Lucia 
decreed otherwise. 

“Now do see what you have done,” she scolded 
suddenly. “You have kept me talking here until 
the sun is well down, and I will have to hurry if 
I want to see Maria and return home before Nana 
misses me. So much for gabbing on the high 
road with some one who should be watching 
for suspicious spies instead of asking ques- 
tions,” she finished with a provoking toss of her 
head. 

Which sentence, considering that she had asked 
the first questions herself, was unjust. Roderigo, 
however, did not seem to resent the blame laid 
upon him. He did not even offer to contradict, 
but watched Lucia until she disappeared around a 
corner a few streets beyond the gate, and then he 
turned resolutely about and scanned the road with 
searching determination, as if he really believed 


CELLINO 21 

that the open, smiling country about him might 
be concealing a spy. 

When Lucia disappeared around the corner of 
the narrow street that led to the market place, 
she stopped long enough to laugh softly to herself. 

“The great silly! He took all the blame him- 
self instead of boxing my ears for being imperti- 
nent. A fine soldier he’ll make! If I can scare 
him, what will the guns do?” she said aloud, and 
then with a roguish gleam of mischief in her 
eyes she hurried on. 

The narrow side streets through which she 
passed were almost deserted, but when she 
reached the market place it was thronged with 
people. Every one was out to look at the new 
troops, and in the little square the great white 
umbrellas over the market stalls were surrounded 
by soldiers. Their picturesque uniforms added 
a gala note to the commonplace little scene. 

Lucia elbowed her way through the jostling, 
laughing men to a certain umbrella, a little to 
one side of the open space left clear before the 
church. 


CHAPTER II 


MARIA 


NEATLY-DRESSED, dumpy little woman 



in a black dress and shawl sat beneath it, 


and behind a row of stone crocks beside 


her was a young girl several years older than 
Lucia, who ladled out cupfuls of the milk that the 
crocks contained, and gave them, always accom- 
panied by a shy little smile, to the soldiers in 
return for their pennies. She was Maria Rudini, 
Lucia’s cousin, a pretty, gentle-featured girl with 
shy, bewildered eyes. 

People often spoke of her quiet loveliness until 
they saw her younger cousin. Then their atten- 
tion was apt to be diverted, for Maria’s delicate 
charms seemed pale beside Lucia’s southern 
beauty, and in the same manner her courage grew 
less. Although she was three years older, Maria 
never questioned Lucia’s authority to lead. 


22 


MABIA 


23 


When Lucia’s father had died, the kindly heart 
of Maria’s mother had prompted her to offer her 
home to his children, but Lucia had declined the 
offer. She said she would undertake the support 
of old Nana and Beppi and herself. There was 
considerable disapproval over her decision, but as 
was generally the case, Lucia had her own way. 
Her method of wage-earning was a simple one. 
Her father had owned a herd of goats and a gar- 
den, and the two had provided ample support for 
the needs of the family. At his death Lucia, with 
characteristic selection, had given up the garden 
and kept the goats. 

Every morning she milked them and carried the 
bright pails to town, where her aunt sold them 
at her little stall along with cheese and sausage. 
The profits were not great, but they were enough. 

“Is that the milk I brought in this morning?” 
Lucia asked incredulously as she approached the 
stall. 

“No, no, my dear,” her aunt replied, shaking 
her head. “You brought scarcely two full pails, 
and they were gone before you had reached the 


24 


LUCIA RUDINI 


gate. We have had a great day ; so many soldiers, 
it is a shame that you cannot bring in more, for 
we could sell it. Just see, we had to send to old 
Paolo’s for this, and it is not as rich as yours of 
course, for his poor beasts have only the weeds 
between the cobblestones to eat.” 

“That is because he is a lazy old man and won’t 
take the trouble to lead his herd out on the slopes 
to graze,” Lucia replied. She put her hands on 
her hips and swayed back and forth as she talked. 
It was a little trait she had inherited from 
her mother, and one of her most characteristic 
poses. 

“How well you look to-day!” Maria said, smil- 
ing. “I have been wishing you would come, we 
are so busy — see, here come a group of soldiers 
all together. Will you help me!” She held out 
a dipper with a long handle, which Lucia accepted 
critically. 

“I don’t like charging full price for this milk 
which is more like water,” she said. 

“Nonsense, child, it is business, the soldiers 
know no difference; it is only your silly pride,” 



“The soldiers came and chattered and laughed.” 

Page 27. 



MARIA 27 

her aunt scolded. She was a little in awe of her 
determined niece, and very often she was pro- 
voked at her. 

“If you can’t bring us more milk, we must do 
the best we can , 9 9 she said meaningly. ‘ ‘ Y ou used 
to bring us twice this much.” 

Lucia shrugged her shoulders and tossed her 
head. “I can bring no more than I bring,” she 
said, and turned her attention to the soldiers be- 
fore her. 

But the explanation did not satisfy her thrifty 
aunt. She was no authority on goats, but she 
had enough sense to know that the supply of milk 
does not dwindle to one-half the usual quantity 
over night. Still she did not voice her sus- 
picions. 

Lucia and Maria were busy for the rest of the 
afternoon. Lucia ’s flowered dress and brilliantly- 
colored bandana that she wore tied over her head, 
were added attractions to Senora Rudini’s stall, 
and the soldiers from the south came and chat- 
tered and laughed. 

“What a pity we have no more,” Maria said as 


28 


LUCIA RUDINI 


the last croek was emptied, and they set about pre- 
paring to return home. “We could go on selling 
all night now that Lucia is here. ’ ’ 

“Well, it is high time to go home, I am tired,’ ’ 
her mother replied crossly. “Hurry with what 
you are doing.” 

Lucia was busy closing the big umbrella. 

“It is late, I will have to hurry, or Beppi will 
have let all my goats run away — he and his 
dreams. He is a lazy little one, but I can ’t bear to 
scold him,” she said. “He is too little to under- 
stand. ’ ’ 

Her aunt nodded. “Let him dream, but if you 
are not careful, he will be badly spoiled.” 

“No fear of that,” Lucia replied, “while Nana 
has a word to say. She is always for bringing 
him up properly, but little good it does. Now we 
are ready, I will help you carry home your things, 
if you will let Maria walk with me to the gate,” 
Lucia bargained. 

“Oh, she may I suppose, though she should be 
at home helping me prepare the dinner. I sup- 
pose you have some secrets between you that an 


MARIA 29 

old grayhead can’t hear,” she grumbled good- 
naturedly. 

“Oh, yes a fine secret!” Lucia replied laughing, 
as she picked up the greatest share of the burden 
and led the way. 

Maria and her mother lived in an old stone 
house that had once been a palace. It was hardly 
palatial now, but it was very picturesque. It 
housed five families besides the Rudinis, and in 
spite of the many lines of wash that floated from 
its windows, it still retained enough of its old 
grandeur to be an interesting spot to the occa- 
sional tourist who visited Cellino. Maria and her 
mother were very proud of this distinction. It 
made up somewhat for the loss of their house, 
which they had been forced to leave, when six 
months before Maria ’s two brothers had gone off 
to fight. 

The new quarters were not far from the market 
place and they soon reached them. Their rooms 
were on the ground floor, and Lucia and Maria 
made haste to drop what they were carrying and 
start off again at a much slower pace for the gate. 


30 LUCIA RUDINI 

The sun was low in the west. It was setting in a 
bank of golden clouds over the little river that ran 
parallel with the west wall of the town. Lucia 
stopped to look at it. 

4 * Rain to-morrow, I suppose, by the look of 
those clouds/ ’ she said, a real pucker of concern 
between her eyes. 

“And no wonder/ ’ Maria agreed, “with all this 
banging of guns one would think it would rain all 
the time out of pity for so much suffering.” 

“Now, Maria, don’t begin to cry,” Lucia pro- 
tested not unkindly. “It will do you no good, 
and it will only make things look worse than they 
really are.” 

“How can they!” Maria demanded, with more 
show of resentment than was usual with her quiet 
acceptance of things. ‘ ‘ Only this morning I sold 
milk to such a sweet hoy from the south. He had 
great sad, brown eyes like yours, and he was very 
young and unhappy. His father and brother were 
both killed, and now he is going.” 

“But perhaps he won’t be killed,” Lucia said 
practically. “Anyway, he will get a chance to do 


MARIA 31 

a little killing first, and surely that is enough to 
satisfy any one, or ought to be.” 

“Oh, Lucia you are cruel sometimes,” Maria 
protested. “Who wants to kill! Surely not 
these happy boys, and they don't want to be killed 
either. It is all too terrible to think about, and 
you are an unnatural girl to talk as you do. Why, 
I don't believe you have cried once since the war 
began, even when the poor wounded were brought 
here, and we saw their faces all shot away.” 

Maria's anger rose as she talked, and Lucia lis- 
tened curiously. It was something new for Maria 
to take her to task. Her mind flew back over the 
past year, and she saw herself with her face bur- 
ied in the grass and her hands clenched, and re- 
membered her furious anger and her vows of 
vengeance, but she had to admit that her cousin 
was right ; she had shed no tears. 

“We are not made the same way, I guess,” she 
replied ruefully to Maria's charges. “I cannot 
cry, I can only hate. ' ' 

“But hate won't do any good,” Maria protested 
feebly. 


32 


LUCIA RUDINI 


“It will do more than tears/ ’ Lucia replied 
shortly. 

They continued their walk in silence, now and 
then nodding to an acquaintance or bowing re- 
spectfully to the Sisters of Charity who lived at 
the big Convent just outside the Porto Romano, 
and who came to town to take care of the sick and 
cheer the broken-hearted. When they reached the 
north gate Lucia stopped. Roderigo was still on 
duty, but this time he did not pause in his brisk 
walk up and down to chat. He never even glanced 
in the girls’ direction. 

Maria nodded towards him and whispered ex- 
citedly, i ‘ That is the boy I was just now speaking 
of. Doesn ’t he look sad ? 9 ’ 

“No, he looks quite cross,” Lucia replied in a 
voice loud enough to be overheard, and her eyes 
sparkled with mischief as she added, “I wonder 
if he will let me through the gate to get home . 9 9 

‘ ‘ May I pass, sir, please ? I live a little beyond 
the wall, but I am not a spy , 9 9 she said with mock 
humility. 

Roderigo blushed. A soldier does not like to be 


MARIA 33 

made fun of, particularly when some one else is 
present. 

“Pass,” he said gruffly. 

Lucia laughed provokingly. 

“Good night, Maria,” she said as she kissed 
her cousin. “ Sweet dreams. I may not be in very 
early in the morning, there is so much to do, you 
know, but I will bring as much milk as possible,” 
she finished. Then without even a glance at Roder- 
igo she walked through the gate and down the wall. 

When she had walked for a little distance she 
looked back. Maria and the soldier were in ear- 
nest conversation. Maria in her timid way was 
apologizing for her cousin’s rudeness, and Rod- 
erigo was beginning to have doubts of the supe- 
riority of Southern beauty over the Northern, 
particularly when a gentle spirit was added to the 
charm of the latter. Lucia did not know she was 
the subject of their talk. She shrugged her shoul- 
ders and turned her thoughts to a more important 
question that was puzzling her. It was, how to 
slip out of the house the next morning without 
disturbing the already suspicious Beppi. 


CHAPTER III 


BEFORE DAYBREAK 



IJCIA found Beppi asleep in the grass, 


curled up in the same position that he had 


been in earlier in the day. One of his 
little hands had tight hold of the precious pink 
bag, and a sticky smile of blissful content turned 
up the corners of his full red lips. 

Lucia looked at him and shook her head. There 
might have been twenty-seven instead of seven 
years between them, for there was something pro- 
tective in her expression. 

1 i Little lazy bones, asleep again !” she said, 
shaking him gently. 

Beppi stirred, one eye opened, and then with a 
sudden rush of memory he sat up and began ex- 
citedly: “ I just this minute fell asleep, just this 
very second, truly, Lucia! I have watched the 
goats, oh, so carefully, and they have not stirred, 
— see there they are only a little farther away than 
when you left. I only closed my eyes because I 


34 



“Together they drove the goats before them.” 

Page 37 , 


























BEFORE DAYBREAK 37 

thought I might go on with that nice dream, but I 
didn’t,” he finished sorrowfully. 

Lucia laughed. 

* 4 Look at the sun,” she pointed. “It is late, 
you should have driven the goats home long ago. 
But I knew you would go to asleep after you ate 
up all the candy, such a naughty little brother that 
you are. What kind of a soldier would you make, 
I’d like to know, dreaming every few minutes? 
Come along, get up, — we must hurry back to Nana, 
or she will be worried.” 

She took his hand and together they drove the 
goats before them to the cottage. 

Nana Rudini was waiting for them at the door. 
She was a little, wrinkled-up, old woman with 
bright blue eyes and thin gray hair. She spoke 
very seldom and always in a high querulous voice. 

“So you’re back at last, are you?” she greeted, 
when the children were within hearing. “Sup- 
per’s been on the stove for too long. What kept 
you?” 

“Very busy day, Nana,” Lucia spoke in much 
the same tone she had used towards Beppi. “I 


38 


LUCIA RUDINI 


had to help Aunt and Maria at market. More 
troops have arrived and the streets are crowded. ’ ’ 

“Ok, sister, you never told me that ! ” Beppi said 
accusingly. “Where are they from?” 

“The south mostly,” Lucia replied, “fine sol- 
diers they are too, if you can judge by their 
looks.” 

“Which you can’t,” old Nana interrupted 
shortly. “Stop your talking and come in to sup- 
per. ’ 9 

“Right away,” Lucia promised, and hurried off 
to shut up her goats in the small, half-tumbled- 
down shack at the back of the cottage. 

Supper at the Rudinis consisted of boiled spa- 
ghetti, black bread and cheese, with a cup full of 
milk apiece. It was not a very tempting meal, 
but Lucia was hungry and ate with a hearty appe- 
tite. 

After the three bowls had been washed and put 
away in the cupboard, she helped her grandmother 
undress, and settled her comfortably in the green 
enameled bed with its brass trimmings, that oc- 
cupied a good part of the small room. Lucia’s 


BEFORE DAYBREAK 


39 


mother had brought it with her from Naples, and 
it was the most cherished and admired article of 
furniture that the Eudinis owned. 

“Are you comfortable, Nana?” Lucia inquired 
gently, as she smoothed the fat, hard pillows in 
an attempt to make a rest for the old gray head. 

“Yes, go to bed, child,” Nana replied, and 
without more ado she closed her eyes and went 
to sleep. 

Lucia climbed up the ladder to the loft, and was 
soon cuddled down beside Beppi in a bed of fresh 
straw. Though she persisted in her determina- 
tion that her grandmother sleep in state in the 
best bed, she herself preferred a simple and softer 
resting place. 

“Tell me a story,” Beppi demanded; “not 
about fairies and silly make believes, but about 
soldiers.” 

“But there are no pretty stories about sol- 
diers, Beppino mio,” Lucia protested. 

“Who wants pretty stories!” Beppi replied 
scornfully. “7 don't— tell me an exciting one 
about guns and war.” 


40 


LUCIA RUDINI 


‘ ‘ Very well I’ll try, but be still,” Lucia gave in, 
well knowing that she would not have to go very 
far. 

“Once upon a time,” she began, “there was a 
soldier. He had very big eyes, and he came from 
the south where the sun is very warm and the sky 
and the water are very, very blue.” 

“Was he brave?” Beppi interrupted sleepily. 

“Oh, yes, he was very brave,” Lucia replied 
hurriedly, “very brave, and he loved his country 
more than anything else in the world.” 

She waited but Beppi ’s voice commanded. 

“Go on, don’t stop.” 

“Well, one day he was sent to guard a gate of a 
city, and he walked up and down before it with 
his gun on his shoulders, and no one could pass 
him unless it was a friend.” 

She paused again. Beppi was breathing regu- 
larly. 

‘ 4 Old sleepy head ! ’ ’ Lucia whispered, and kissed 
him tenderly. 

The story was not continued and before many 
minutes she was fast asleep herself. 


BEFORE DAYBREAK 41 

It was an hour before sunrise when she awoke. 
The air that found its way into the little attic was 
damp and chill. Lucia crept out of bed, being 
very careful not to disturb Beppi, and slipped hur- 
riedly into her clothes. With her shoes in her 
hand she climbed gingerly down the ladder past 
her sleeping grandmother and out to the shed. 

‘ t Good morning, Garibaldi, how are you this 
morning f ” she said as she patted the stocky little 
neck of her pet. 

Garibaldi submitted to her caress with a con- 
descension worthy of the position her name gave 
her, and the other goats crowded to the open door, 
eager to leave their cramped quarters. 

“Not yet, my dears,” Lucia said softly, “it isn’t 
time. Here, Esther, I will milk you first. You 
must all be good to-day, and Garibaldi, I don’t 
want you to go running away if I have to leave 
you with Beppi,” she continued. “You’re noth- 
ing but goats, of course, but you know perfectly 
well that we are at war, and that you are very 
important, and must do your part. Stop it, Miss, 
none of your pranks, I’m in a hurry,” she chided 


42 LUCIA RUDINI 

the refractory Esther for an attempt at playful- 
ness. 

“ There now, that’s enough, I can’t carry any 
more or I would. Two pails only half full aren’t 
much, but they help, I guess. Now if it won’t rain 
until I get there it will be all right, but I’ll cover 
the pails to be on the safer side.” She found two 
covers and fitted them securely over the pails. 
“Now children, good-by. Be good till I come 
back, and don’t go making any noise.” 

She paused long enough to give Garibaldi a 
farewell pat and then left the shed closing the door 
behind her. She looked up uneasily at the cot- 
tage, but everything seemed to be very still, so 
she picked up her pails and started off at as brisk 
a pace as possible. 

She followed the main road that looked unnat- 
urally white and ghostly in the pale dawn of the 
early morning. It was down hill for about a mile, 
and traveling was comparatively easy at first, 
but when the road reached the bottom of the valley 
it stopped and seemed to straggle off into numer- 
ous little foot-paths. The broadest and most 


BEFORE DAYBREAK 


43 


traveled looking path Lucia followed, picking her 
way carefully for fear of stumbling and thus los- 
ing some of the precious milk. 

The path led up the other side of the valley. It 
was a steep climb, and Lucia was tired when she 
reached the top. She sat down for a while to rest 
before going on the remainder of the way. The 
next path that she took turned abruptly to the 
right, and led up an even steeper hill to a tiny 
plateau above. From it one could look down on 
Cellino across the valley. When Lucia reached it 
she put down her pails in the shade of a big rock 
and looked about cautiously. 

Nothing seemed to stir. The guns were quiet 
and nothing in the peaceful, secluded little spot 
suggested the close proximity of battle. The only 
human touch in sight was a small scrap of paper, 
held down by a stone on the flat rock above the 
pails. 

Lucia was not surprised, for she had done the 
same thing every morning for a week now. She 
unfolded it. As she expected, she found four 
brightly polished copper pennies and the words, 


44 LUCIA RUDINI 

i i Thanks to the little milk maid , ’ 1 written in heavy- 
pencil. 

Lucia picked up the money and put it into her 
pocket, then with a pencil that she had brought 
especially for the purpose she wrote, “You are 
welcome, my friends; good luck!” below the mes- 
sage, and tucked the paper back under the stone. 
Then with another curious look around, which dis- 
covered nothing, she started back, this time run- 
ning as fleet and fast as any of her sure-footed 
little goats. 

She reached home before either Nana or Bep- 
pino were awake, and hurried to finish her milk- 
ing. When the scant breakfast was over, she was 
ready to start for town with her pails. 

WTien she entered the market-place, it was to 
And a very different scene from the one of the day 
before. The place was thronged with soldiers, 
but they were not laughing and jesting; instead, 
little groups congregated around the stalls and 
talked excitedly. Some of the old women had cov- 
ered their faces with their black aprons, and were 


BEFORE DAYBREAK 45 

rocking back and forth on their chairs in an ex- 
tremity of woe. 

There was an unnatural hush, and men and 
women alike lowered heir voices instinctively as 
they talked. 

Lucia had seen the same thing many times be- 
fore. She guessed, and rightly too, that a battle 
was going on, and that news of some disaster had 
reached the little town. She^did not go at once 
to her aunt’s stall, but left her pails inside the big 
bronze door of the church, and slipped quietly in- 
side. The place was deserted, and the lofty dome 
was in dark shadow. Long rays of pale yellow 
light from the morning sun came through the nar- 
row windows and made queer patches on the mar- 
ble floor. In the dim recesses of the little chapels 
tiny candles flickered like stars in the dark. 

Lucia looked about her to make sure that she 
was alone, and then walked quickly to one of the 
chapels and dropped four shining copper pennies 
into the mite box that stood on a little shelf be- 
side the altar. She stayed only long enough to 


46 


LUCIA RUDINI 


say a hasty little prayer, and then hurried out 
again into the sunshine. The clouds of the night 
before and the mist of the early morning had dis- 
appeared, and the market-place was bathed in 
warm golden sunshine. 

Lucia picked up her pails and hurried to her 
aunt’s stall. 

“Well, you are late,” Maria said. “We 
thought you had stubbed your toe and spilled all 
the milk . 9 9 

“And only two half -full pails again,” Senora 
Rudini grumbled. “But no matter, we can get 
more from old Paolo. Have you heard the 
news?” she asked abruptly. 

“No,” Lucia replied indifferently. “What is 
it?” 

“A big gain by the enemy. They have taken 
thousands of our men, and they say we may be or- 
dered to leave Cellino at any minute.” 

“Think of it! They are as near as that!” 
Maria said excitedly. “Oh if we must move, 
where can we go to? I am so frightened.” 

“Nonsense,” Lucia spoke shortly. There was 


BEFOEE DAYBREAK 


47 


an angry gleam in her big eyes and her cheeks 
flushed a dark red. 

“ Leave Cellino, indeed! The very idea! 
Since when must Italians make way for Austrians, 
I’d like to know?” 

“But if the enemy are advancing as they say,” 
Maria protested nervously, “we will either have 
to leave, or be shelled to death by those dreadful 
guns.” 

“Or be taken prisoners, and a nice thing that 
would be,” her mother added. “No, if the order 
to evacuate comes we must go at once. There will 
be no time to spare. Other towns have been cap- 
tured, and there is only that between us.” 

She pointed to the zigzag mountain peaks so 
short a distance beyond the north gate. As if to 
give her words weight, a heavy thunder of guns 
rumbled ominously. 

Maria shuddered. ‘ ‘ There, that is ever so much 
nearer. Oh, I am frightened, — something dread- 
ful is happening over there just out of sight.” 

“Silly! those are our own guns. Ask any of 
our soldiers,” Lucia said. 


48 


LUCIA RUDINI 


* i Here comes your guard, the handsome Roder- 
igo Vicello, maybe he can tell us. Good morning 
to you!” she called gayly and beckoned the sol- 
dier to come to them. 

“I hope you are well this morning,” Roderigo 
said respectfully, bowing to Senora Rudini. 

“Oh, we are well, but very frightened,” Maria 
replied, trying hard to imitate her cousin ’s gaiety. 

“Maria thinks that the guns we heard just now 
are Austrian, and I have been trying to tell her 
that they are Italian. Which of us is right! You 
are a soldier and ought to know. ’ ’ 

“Our guns, of course. They have a different 
sound,” Roderigo explained impressively. 

He had never been any nearer to the front than 
he was at this moment, but he spoke with the as- 
surance of an old soldier, partly to quiet Maria’s 
fears, but mostly to still his own nervous fore- 
bodings. It would never do to let the little black- 
eyed Lucia see that he was even a little afraid. 

“There, what did I tell you!” Lucia was trium- 
phant. “I knew, but of course you would not be- 
lieve me. Now perhaps you will tell her that we 


BEFOEE DAYBEEAK 49 

will not have to run away at a minute’s notice, 
too?” 

She turned to Eoderigo, but eager as he was to 
display his importance he could not give the assur- 
ance she asked. The little knowledge that he had, 
made him think that the evacuation was very likely 
to occur at any day. 

He covered his fears, however, by replying 
vaguely: “One can never be sure. War is war, 
and perhaps it may be necessary, as well as safer, 
for you to leave for the time being.” 

Lucia looked at him narrowly. 

“What makes you say that?” she demanded. 
“Have you heard any of the officers talking?” 

“No, hut this morning’s news is very had. We 
have our orders to be ready to start at any mo- 
ment.” 

“Oh!” Maria caught her breath sharply, and 
her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Eod- 
erigo shyly. 

He saw the tears in surprise, and a contented 
warmth settled around his heart. He looked half 
expectantly at Lucia. Surely, if this calm, shy 


50 


LUCIA RUDINI 


girl of the north would shed a tear for him, she 
with the warm blood of the south in her veins 
would weep. But Lucia’s eyes were dry, and the 
only expression he could find in them was envy. 
He turned away in disgust. He did not admire 
too much courage in girls, for he was very young 
and very sentimental, and he enjoyed being cried 
over. 

A bugle sounded from the other end of the 
street, and in an instant everything was in con- 
fusion. The soldiers hurried to answer, and the 
people crowded about to see what was going to 
happen. 

Lucia, eager and excited, snatched Maria ’s hand 
and pulled her into the very center of the crowd. 
An officer, with the bugler beside him, read an or- 
der from the steps of the town hall, an old gray 
stone building that had stood in silent dignity at 
the end of the square for many centuries. 

The girls were not near enough to hear the 
order, but they soon found Roderigo in the excited 
mass of soldiers, and he explained it to them. 


BEFORE DAYBREAK 


51 


* * We are to leave for the front at once,” he cried 
excitedly. “We have not a moment to spare. 
Tavola has been captured by the enemy, and our 
troops are retreating through the Pass.” 

“The Saints preserve us!” Senora Rudini cov- 
ered her face with her apron and cried. “My 
sons! My sons! Where are they, dead or pris- 
oners?” 

“No, no, they are safe,” Lucia protested. 
“They are with the Army. Don’t worry, when 
the reenforcements reach them they will go for- 
ward again.” 

But her aunt refused to be comforted. Every- 
where in the street women were calling excitedly, 
and a number of them besieged the officers for 
information. 

The soldiers hurried to their billets and got 
together their kits. The square buzzed and 
hummed with excitement and the guns kept up a 
steady bass accompaniment. 

The bugle sounded a different order every little 
while. Some of the more prudent women went 


52 


LUCIA EUDINI 


home and began packing their household treas- 
ures, but for the most part every one stayed in 
the market-place and argued shrilly. 

“Come!” Lucia exclaimed, catching Maria’s 
hand. “We can watch them march off from the 
top of the wall by the gate. ’ ’ 

They ran quickly through the side streets, and 
by taking many turns they at last reached the 
broad top of the wall, which they ran along until 
they were just above the north gate. 

“Here they come!” Maria exclaimed. “I can 
hear them. ’ ’ 

The paved streets of the town rang with the 
heavy tramp, tramp of men marching, and before 
long they appeared before the gate. The order to 
walk four abreast was given. The men took their 
places, and then at a brisk pace they marched 
through the old gate, a sea of bobbing black hats 
and cock feathers. 

The townspeople followed to cheer them ex- 
citedly. Lucia and Maria leaned dangerously 
over the edge of the wall in their attempt to recog- 
nize the familiar faces under the hats. 


BEFORE DAYBREAK 


53 


The soldiers looked up and called out gayly at 
sight of Lucia. She had taken off her flowered 
kerchief and was waving it excitedly. The wind 
caught her dark hair and blew it across her face, 
and her bright skirts in the sunshine made a vivid 
spot of color against the stone wall. The men 
turned often to look back at her as they marched 
along the wide road. 

Maria did not lift her eyes from the sea of hats 
beneath her. She was waiting for one face to look 
up. At last she had her wish. Roderigo’s place 
was towards the end of the column; when he 
walked under the gate he looked up and smiled. 
It was a sad smile, full of regret. 

Without exactly meaning to, Maria dropped the 
flower she was wearing in her bodice. Roderigo 
caught it and tucked it, Neapolitan fashion, behind 
his ear, then he blew a kiss to Maria and marched 
on. 

Lucia watched the little scene. She was half 
amused and half contemptuous. Her little heart 
under its gay bodice was filled with a fine hate that 
left no room for pretty romance. 


CHAPTER IV 


LOST 

W HEN the soldiers had climbed out of 
sight into the mountains, Maria 
walked slowly back to find her 
mother, and Lucia after a hurried good-by ran 
home to tell Nana and Beppino the news. 

She was far more worried over the possible 
order to evacuate than she would admit. As their 
cottage was the farthest north on the road, it 
would be the nearest to the Austrian guns. Per- 
sonally Lucia scorned the very idea of the Aus- 
trian guns, but she could not help realizing the 
danger to Nana and Beppino and Garibaldi. She 
was still undecided what to do when she reached 
the cottage. 

Nana Rudini was standing in the doorway, 
shading her eyes with her withered old hand, and 
staring intently in the direction that the soldiers 
had taken. 


54 


LOST 


55 


“Did you see the troops, Nana?” Lucia asked 
cheerfully. “They were a fine lot, eh? I guess 
they will he able to stop the enemy from coming 
any nearer.” 

“Nearer?” queried Nana, “what are you say- 
ing?” 

“We have had had luck,” Lucia explained. 
“Tavola has been captured, and our soldiers are 
retreating. In town they say we may have to 
evacuate before to-morrow.” 

The old woman received the news without com- 
ment, but a look of despair came into her usually 
bright eyes, and for the moment made them 
tragic. Long years before, when Austria had 
crossed the mountains and entered Cellino, she 
had been a young girl. Now in her old age they 
were to come again, and there was no reason to 
hope that this time they would be less brutal in 
their triumph than they had been formerly. The 
memory of their brutality was still a vivid one. 

“We will leave at once,” she said at last, and 
her decision was so unexpected, that Lucia gasped 
in surprise. 


56 


LUCIA RUDINI 


“ Leave? But, Nana, where will we go? What 
will become of our things ?” she exclaimed. 
‘ 4 Surely we had better wait at least until we are 
ordered out.” 

“No, we will leave at once,” Nana replied firmly. 
“The order may come too late, as it did before. 
What do those boys who swagger about in men’s 
places know about the enemy? There is not one 
that can remember them. But I, old Nana, have 
known them and their ways, and I say we must 
go at once.” 

Lucia looked at the new light of determination 
in her grandmother’s eyes, and realized with a 
shock of surprise that to protest would be use- 
less. 

“Where is Beppi?” she asked. “I will go and 
find him. ’ ’ 

“With the goats,” Nana replied. “Call him, I 
will go in and start packing.” 

Lucia ran around the house and off to the sunny 
slope where she had left Beppi a few hours before. 
She saw the flock of goats grazing, and called, 
“Beppino mio, where are you?” 


LOST 57 

No one answered her. She hurried on, believ- 
ing him to have fallen asleep. 

“Beppi!” she shouted, “I have something ex- 
citing to tell you. “Stop hiding from me.” 

She waited, but still no answer came. 

In a sudden frenzy of fear she began running 
aimlessly up and down the hillside, and looking 
down into the tall grasses, but there was no sign 
of Beppi. There were no trees or houses in 
sight, no place that he could hide behind, nearer 
than the mountain path at the foot of the valley. 

Lucia looked about her despairingly, then she 
went over to the goats. Garibaldi was not there. 

“She has strayed away, and Beppi has gone 
after her,” she said aloud in relief, and returned 
to the cottage. 

Nana nodded when she explained. She was 
busy tying up the household treasures in sheets, 
and Lucia helped her. 

Every few minutes she would go to the door and 
call, but Beppi did not reply. The afternoon 
wore on slowly and a bank of rain clouds hid the 
sun. Lucia’s confidence gave way to her first 


58 LUCIA RUDINI 

feeling of terror, and Nana was growing impa- 
tient. 

1 ‘ Where can he be!” Lucia exclaimed. “I am 
frightened, he has been gone so long.” 

Nana shook her head. “He was off after the 
soldiers, I suppose,” she replied. “He is always 
disobeying — no good will come to him and his 
naughty ways.” 

Lucia’s eyes flashed. 

“He is not naughty,” she protested angrily, 
“and he may be lost this very minute. Anyway 
I am going to find him and I am not coming home 
until I do. If you are afraid to stay here go to 
Maria, she and aunt will look after you, and when 
I find Beppi I will meet you there.” 

Nana Rudini protested excitedly, but Lucia did 
not wait to hear what she said. She ran out of the 
house and down the road towards the footpath. 
She had no idea of where she was going, but fear 
lead her on. Beppi, her adored little brother, 
and Garibaldi were lost, and she was going to 
find them. 

At the end of the road she paused and looked 


LOST 


59 


ahead of her. The sky was dark with rain-clouds 
and thunder rumbled in the west, an echo of the 
guns. Lucia took the path that she had taken 
early that morning, and as she climbed up the 
steep ascent she called and shouted. Her own 
voice came back to her from the flat rocks ahead, 
but there was no sound of Beppi. 

Instead of going on to the little plateau where 
she left her pails, she branched off to the left. 
It was hard climbing, and after repeated shouts 
of 4 4 Beppi,’ ’ she sat down and tried to think. 

Big drops of rain were beginning to fall, and 
with the sun out of sight the fall air was damp 
and cold. She pulled her thin shawl around her 
shoulders and shivered. 

“If Garibaldi ran away she came up here; she 
always does, ,, she argued to herself. “She loves 
to climb, and she must have come this way in the 
hope of finding grass. Up above, and a little 
over to the left, there is a sort of sheltered spot. 
Perhaps — ” she did not finish the thought, but 
jumped up and started to climb. 

She hunted until she discovered a way to find 


60 


LUCIA RUDINI 


the spot. It was not difficult, for she knew every 
foot of the mountains from long association. But 
Beppi was not to be seen, nor was Garibaldi. 
Lucia stopped, discouraged. Fear and helpless- 
ness were getting the better of her, and she would 
most likely have given way to the tears she so de- 
spised had her eye not caught sight of a tuft of fur 
on the ground. She seized upon it eagerly. It 
was without doubt part of Garibaldi’s shaggy 
coat. 

With a cry of joy she started off up the tiny 
trail that led higher up into the rocks. 

“Beppi, Beppi!” she called, and stopped. 
Still no answer, but she was not discouraged for 
the guns were making so much noise that she 
realized her voice could not carry any great dis- 
tance. 

The rain was coming down in earnest now, and 
it was hard to keep from losing her footing on 
the slippery rocks. She stumbled on regardless 
of the danger, hoping against hope that she had 
chosen the right path, and that each step was 
bringing her nearer to Beppi. Between calling 


LOST 61 

and climbing, she was tired, and she stopped for 
a moment to catch her breath. 

A sound, faint but unmistakable, reached her. 

“Naa, Naa!” 

Garibaldi was complaining about the weather, 
at no very great distance away from her. 

In her relief Lucia laughed excitedly. 

“Beppi, Beppi, where are you?” she shouted, 
and waited eagerly for a reply, but none came. 
She looked puzzled and then Garibaldi answered 
her: 

“Naa, Naa!” 

The sound came from directly over her head, 
and she climbed up the steep rock as fast as she 
could. Garibaldi was standing at the opening of 
a cave. Lucia ran to her. 

“Oh, my pet, I have found you at last. Where 
is Beppi?” she cried. Garibaldi did not exactly 
reply, but she stepped a little to one side, and 
Lucia saw Beppino curled up on a bed of dry 
leaves sheltered and snug from the storm, and 
sleeping quite as contentedly as he did on the 
mattress in the attic at home. 


62 LUCIA RUDINI 

Lucia ran to him and shook him. He opened 
his eyes, and a dazed look came into them, then he 
said: 

“Oh, yes, I remember, it began to rain and we 
were lost, your old crosspatch Garibaldi and I, so 
I found this nice little place, and I was going to 
pretend that I was a gypsy brigand, but I fell 
asleep.” 

Lucia was far too happy to attempt the scolding 
that she knew Beppi deserved. She picked him 
up in her arms, and hugged and kissed him, then 
she encircled Garibaldi’s neck and kissed her too. 

“My darlings, I thought you were both lost. 
What a terrible fright you have given me! But 
we are safe now, and we will wait until sunrise 
to-morrow, and then we will go home,” she said 
happily. 

“I saw the soldiers go away,” Beppi said, push- 
ing her face from him as she tried to kiss him 
again, “and they looked so fine with their shiny 
hats. It was while I looked at them that old 
crosspatch ran away. I did have a chase, I can 
tell you, she had such a big start.” 


LOST 


63 


“Are you very hungry, little one?” Lucia asked 
gently. ‘“I should have brought bread with me, 
but I did not think. ’ ’ 

Beppi giggled, and from the pocket of his little 
tunic he produced the pink paper bag. 

“Two left,” he announced as he opened it, 
“and both long ones. Here’s yours and here’s 
mine. Garibaldi’s been eating grass all day, so 
she’s not hungry.” 

Lucia accepted the candy, and they both had a 
drink of milk. Then Beppi snuggled down in his 
sister’s arms and his eyelids grew heavy. 

“Go on with that story,” he said, “the one 
about the soldier at the gate. ’ ’ 

Lucia smiled in the dark and hugged him tight. 
The guns were silent, and only occasional peals of 
thunder broke the stillness. 

“Well, one day,” she began, “a very cross girl 
came to the gate, and the soldier who was always 
on the lookout for the stolen princess stopped her 
and spoke to her. But the cross girl was feeling 
very mean indeed, and she teased the soldier and 
made him very unhappy. But later on in the 


64 LUCIA RUDINI 

afternoon she was ashamed, and so she found the 
nice girl who was really the stolen princess, and 
took her with her to the gate, and the soldier — ” 

Lucia broke off and sat up suddenly to listen. 
A queer “rat, tat, tat,” detached itself from the 
other night noises. Beppi was sound asleep, and 
she rolled him gently into the nest of leaves, then 
she listened again. The sound came again. 

“Rat, tat, tat.” It was a sharp staccato ham- 
mering, muffled by the wall of rock behind her. 

She stood up and crept softly to the mouth of 
the cave. 

The wind and the rain made such a noise that 
she could hear nothing, and it was already too 
dark to distinguish anything but the vaguest out- 
lines. She crept back into the shelter, believing 
that she had just imagined what she had heard, but 
she had not taken her place beside Beppi before 
she heard it again — a persistent “rat, tat, tat,” 
too metallic and too regular to be accounted for by 
a natural cause. 

Lucia’s mind was alert at once. She put her 
ear up against the rock and listened again. 


LOST 


65 


Muffled sounds too indistinct to recognize came to 
lier. Whatever they were, they were not far off, 
and right in a line with the back of the cave. 

Lucia thought of several explanations, but 
could accept none of them. She tried to argue 
against her fears by saying over and over again 
that if it was a sound made by men, those men 
were surely Italian soldiers, but her arguments 
could not still the frightened beating of her heart, 
as the voice became more distinct. She was filled 
with terror. 

Rumors of underground tunnels and mines 
blowing off whole mountain tops, that she had 
heard from the soldiers, came back to her and 
left her cold with fear. 

Beppi had rolled over beside the goat for 
warmth, and was sleeping soundly. Lucia looked 
at him and then went once more to the mouth of 
the cave. 

The cold rain in her face gave her back her 
courage, and she felt her way around the cliff and 
up between the crevices of the two rocks, until 
she was on the roof of the cave. It was flat and 


66 


LUCIA RUDINI 


the ground seemed to stretch out level for quite 
a distance before her. She listened for a mo- 
ment, but the rain beating down made it impos- 
sible for her to distinguish any other sound. 

She lay down flat on the wet ground, and 
crawled forward for a few feet, then listened 
again. At first she heard only the rain and the 
wind, but after a little wait there was a muffled 
bang as if a bomb had exploded deep down in the 
earth, and the ground beneath her trembled. 

Lucia sprang to her feet and ran terrified back 
to the cave. It was fortunate that she was as 
sure-footed as her goats, for the way was steep 
and slippery, and she did not pause to take care. 

Over in the cave, with her hand on Beppi’s 
curly head, she sat down to think. Her mind was 
not capable of arriving at any logical explana- 
tion. Two thoughts stood out clearly and be- 
yond doubt. First, the enemy was doing some- 
thing of which the Italians were unaware, and 
second, the Italians must be warned before it was 
too late. That she must warn them she realized 
at once, but the way was not easy to determine. 


LOST 


67 


The mountains were tricky. From one side 
they might look deserted, and yet a whole army 
could be in hiding just over the other side. The 
giant peaks formed formidable and wellnigh im- 
passable barriers between one range and the 
next. Lucia had seen the troops disappear that 
morning, as if the great rocks had opened and 
devoured them, and she knew that at this mo- 
ment they might be within a half a mile of 
her, but where to begin to find them she did not 
know. 

The close proximity of the Austrians frightened 
her, and she was afraid to go off at random, or 
even to call. Throughout the night she tried to 
think and plan as she sat up with her back against 
the rock listening for the rat, tat, tat, which began 
again after she returned to the cave, and con- 
tinued at regular intervals. 

Before dawn the rain stopped and the wind blew 
the clouds away. At the first streak of light 
Lucia stole softly away from the sleeping Beppi 
and Garibaldi, and crept down the tiny path 
to the plateau below. Once there she was on fa- 


68 LUCIA RUDINI 

miliar ground and even in the pale light she could 
tell her way. 

During the night she had decided to go to the 
rock where she took her milk in the morning; 
surely the mysterious hand that left the pennies 
for her would be there, and she was determined to 
wait for him. 

She reached the spot without encountering any 
difficulties, and sat down to wait. The sun rose 
east of Cellino, and she watched it as it climbed 
over the hill and lighted the windows of the church 
with its yellow low rays. 

All the world looked as if it had just been 
bathed and freshly clothed to step out glistening 
and very clean to greet the day. The air was 
chilly, but so fresh and sweet that Lucia took 
long grateful breaths of it. She was just won- 
dering how long she would have to wait, when a 
stone rolled down beside her and hit her foot. 
She jumped and turned around. A soldier with 
a broad smile that showed all his fine white teeth 
was climbing down towards her. 

Lucia put her fingers to her lip to caution 


LOST 69 

silence, and his smile changed to a look of sudden 
anxiety. 

“What is it?” he demanded. 

“Don’t make any noise,” Lucia warned. 
“Listen to me.” 

She told him all that she had discovered during 
the night. 

“Are you sure of what you say?” the soldier 
questioned her seriously. 

“Oh, yes, sir, I tell you I crawled out and 
listened. The sound was very near. ’ ’ 

“Can you show me the place?” 

“Yes, yes, I have just come from there, but it 
is a slippery climb.” Lucia looked at him inter- 
rogatively. 

The man nodded. “Never mind that, lead the 
way. ’ ’ 

Lucia did not hesitate, but hurried back along 
the rocks, choosing the safest footholds and some- 
times leaving her companion far behind. 

When she reached the little grassy plateau, she 
stopped and pointed. “It is above here, sir.” 

She started to ascend, and the soldier followed 


70 


LUCIA RUDINI 


in silence. When they reached the cave she 
pointed to the back wall and said: “Listen 
there. ’ ’ 

The soldier was so tall that he had to stoop 
down before he could enter, but he was very care- 
ful to be quiet and not disturb the still sleeping 
Beppi. 

He put his ear to the wall and Lucia watched 
him excitedly. By the expression of his face 
she knew he was hearing the “rat, tat, tat.” 

4 4 Can you show me the place where you thought 
you heard the explosion?” he whispered. 

Lucia nodded and beckoned to him to follow. 
In her eagerness she forgot that he could not climb 
as nimbly as she could, and she was on the roof of 
the cave before he had started to ascend. 

It was fortunate that she was, for not ten feet 
ahead of her, crawling along the ground, his hel- 
met shining in the sun, was a soldier in the Aus- 
trian uniform. 


CHAPTER V 


IN THE TOOL SHED 


A T sight of her he jumped to his feet. 

“Halt!” he commanded, unnecessarily, 
for Lucia was far too frightened to 


move. 

She was thinking of the soldier whose head 
would appear at any moment over the ledge of 
rock behind, and her one wish was to stop him. 

“I won’t move, sir!” she cried loudly, “I see 
you have a big gun and I am all alone.” She 
spoke in Italian, but the Austrian seemed to un- 
derstand. 

“What are you doing prowling around here at 
this time of day?” he demanded angrily, speaking 
to her in her own language. 

“Oh, sir, I am lost,” Lucia replied, not daring 
to look below her. “My goat wandered away in 
71 


72 LUCIA RUDINI 

the storm and I came out to find her, and now I 
am very, very far away from home.” 

She walked towards the man as she spoke. 
She was terrified for fear he would discover the 
cave below her. 

“Where did you sleep?” he demanded. 

“Oh, I have not slept, sir. See my dress it is 
wet from the rain, there is no shelter anywhere, 
and the wind and the rain frightened me so I did 
not know where I was, and I was afraid to stay 
still.” 

The Austrian eyed her suspiciously. 

“Why didn’t you go to the soldiers and ask for 
shelter?” he inquired harshly. 

“The soldiers?” Lucia’s brown eyes opened 
wide in surprise. “But there are no soldiers near 
here. They are miles away with the guns. How 
could I reach them? My home is over there,” 
she pointed in the opposite direction from the 
cave, “and I think I will go back to it, now that it 
is day.” 

“Oh, no, you won’t,” the Austrian replied. 
“You’ll come with me.” 


IN THE TOOL SHED 


73 


“But why, what have I done?” Lucia inquired. 

“That’s not the point,” the soldier replied. 
“You’re an Italian, and if I let you go you’ll run 
home and tell all the troops in the town that I was 
here. Oh, no, my little lady, we can ’t allow that — 
you ’re coming along with me. ’ ’ 

His lordly tone and the sneer on his lips in- 
furiated Lucia. She thought all danger of his 
discovering the cave was over, so she replied 
angrily. “And suppose I won’t come? Don’t 
think you can frighten me, for you can’t. I tell 
you, I won’t go a step with you.” 

The Austrian was about to reply, when a sound 
that had been so welcome only a few hours ago 
struck terror to Lucia’s ears. 

“Naa, Naa !” 

“What’s that?” the soldier jumped nervously. 
He was startled and frightened. Lucia saw it 
and her own courage returned. 

“My goat,” she said as Garibaldi appeared 
above the rock. 

Lucia ran to him. 

“My pet, here you are, I have found you at last. 


74 


LUCIA EUDINI 


Where have you been? you are a bad girl. See 
how you frightened the brave Austrian soldier.” 

The sarcasm and scorn in her voice were un- 
mistakable. The soldier was indignant. 

4 ‘Here, that is enough from you. Come along, 
I will take you where they will teach you better 
manners.” 

He caught her roughly by the shoulder, and 
Lucia went with him only too gladly. If she 
could get him well away from the cave, it would 
be time enough to think of herself. She had no 
doubt that she would be able to run away from 
him later on. 

As they walked along the noise underground 
grew louder. Every now and then the man 
would turn and look at her suspiciously. He did 
not speak to her, however, and they walked for 
quite a distance in silence. When Lucia con- 
sidered that they had gone far enough she stopped. 

“Where are you taking me?” she demanded 
with spirit. 

“Never mind, you come along,” the man re- 


IN THE TOOL SHED 75 

plied impatiently. “Time enough for you to 
know when we get there.’ ’ 

“But I won’t go any further.” Lucia was de- 
termined. “Do you think that I will be taken 
prisoner by an Austrian? Never!” 

Her eyes blazed indignantly. She planned so 
many times just what she would do, if she was 
ever brought face to face with her hated enemy, 
that the feeling of helplessness that she felt 
under the big man’s hand infuriated her. 

“Come along, I will not speak again,” the Aus- 
trian commanded, and once more Lucia went on, 
unable to withstand the strength of his arm. 

The flat ground ended abruptly, and they had to 
climb down jagged rocks. Lucia thought that her 
chance of escape had come, but the Austrian never 
lessened his hold on her arm. 

They had traveled this far without meeeting 
any one. The only signs of life had been the 
mysterious noise underground, and the click of 
Garibaldi’s sharp hoofs as they hit the stone. 

When they reached a certain point the soldier 


76 


LUCIA BUDINI 


stopped. “If you make any noise,’ ’ he said 
roughly, “I will have to shoot you.” 

Lucia opened her mouth to scream, but before 
the sound came she changed her mind. A new 
and splendid idea had just come to her. She 
stopped holding back and walked obediently be- 
side her guard. They did not go very far, before 
he told her to lie down and crawl, and before she 
realized where she was going, she was in a deep 
trench that ran along the base of the rock and was 
completely hidden from sight. 

Garibaldi followed them, picking her way 
daintily, and stopping every now and then to let 
out a mournful “Naa!” The Austrian did not 
seem to hear her. If he did, he paid no atten- 
tion, but led Lucia hurriedly along the dark pass- 
age. 

They had not gone far before a sentry stopped 
them. Lucia’s guard said something to him that 
she could not understand. The sentry disap- 
peared, to return in a few minutes with another 
man. From the respectful salutes that he re- 
ceived, Lucia decided he must be a very high offi- 


IN THE TOOL SHED 77 

cer. More talk followed which she could not un- 
derstand, and then her guard turned to her. 

“Follow me,” he directed, and led her out of the 
passage across a stretch of open ground, and 
over to a shed. Another soldier opened the door, 
and before Lucia quite got her breath, she heard 
the key turn in a lock and the thud, thud of the 
men’s boots as they marched away. 


CHAPTER VI 


GARIBALDI PERFORMS 

T HE shed had been hastily put together, and 
served as a place for picks and shovels. 
There were so many of them, in fact, that 
Lucia at first had difficulty in finding a place to 
stand, but by rearranging them she cleared a por- 
tion of the floor and sat down to think. 

The shed was by no means airtight, for the 
boards had been nailed up so far apart that not 
only did the air and light enter between the 
cracks, but it was also possible for Lucia to see 
everything that was going on about her. 

At first it looked as if the soldiers were just 
hurrying about aimlessly, but by watching them 
closely, especially the guard that had caught her, 
she saw that they were preparing to leave. 

A bugle sounded from a dugout at the end of 
the passage, and all the soldiers in sight fell into 
78 


GARIBALDI PERFORMS 


79 


marching order and waited at attention. Then 
the officer who had ordered Lucia shut up in the 
tool-house, gave them some orders that she could 
not understand. 

One soldier came over to the shed and unlocked 
the door. He beckoned Lucia to step outside, and 
as the men filed past the door he handed each one 
a pick and shovel. When they had all received 
them, and Lucia expected to return, the Captain 
spoke to her. His Italian was so very bad she 
pretended not to understand. 

‘ ‘ What is your name ? ’ ’ was his first question. 

Lucia shook her head. 

“Your name?” he persisted. “Marie, Louise, 
Josephine?” 

“No, Senor,” Lucia replied bewildered. 

“Well then, what is it?” 

“I don’t understand.” 

“Your name?” 

“No, Senor.” 

“Your name? Have you no sense — stupid!” 
The Captain’s patience was fast giving way. 

Now to call an Italian stupid is the worst pos- 


80 


LUCIA RUDINI 


sible insult, and Lucia’s cheeks flushed hotly. 
She was very angry, and she determined not to 
reply now at any cost. She shook her head 
therefore, and a very stubborn and unpromising 
light came into her brown eyes. 

The Captain looked at her in disgust. 

“Well, I suppose your name does not matter 
anyway, ’ ’ he said gruffly. * 1 Where do you live ? ’ ’ 

Another shake of the small black head, and an 
expressive shrug. 

“You live in Cellino, so why not say so? Come, 
no more sulking. If you won ’t answer me of your 
own free will, you must be made to answer. ’ ’ 

“No, Sen or,” Lucia smiled provokingly. 

“No — what in thunder do you mean?” 

“No, Senor,” there was not a trace of imperti- 
nence in her face. 

The officer looked at her in despair. 

“Do you, or don’t you understand what I am 
saying?” he demanded. 

“No, Senor,” Lucia reiterated. 

“Where is the soldier who found this girl?” 
the Captain shouted to an orderly. 


GARIBALDI PERFORMS 


81 


Lucia did not understand what he said, but she 
knew that her captor was well out of sight with his 
pick and shovel by now, and in all probability 
would not return and give her away, and she was 
beginning to enjoy the part of a 4 4 stupid.’ ’ 

Just as the Captain turned to continue his ques- 
tioning, Garibaldi, who had been grazing about 
unmolested at a little distance from the shed, saw 
Lucia and came bounding over to her. In her 
delight at finding her young mistress she very 
nearly succeeded in butting over the officer. 

Lucia had difficulty in repressing a smile, but 
she put her arms around the goat’s neck and pat- 
ted her. 

4 4 Does that animal belong to you?” The Cap- 
tain demanded, puffing a little in the effort to re- 
tain his balance. 

Lucia only smiled and nodded. Garibaldi 
kicked up her heels in an ecstasy of joy and sent 
the soft mud flying. The Captain’s anger broke 
all bounds. 

4 4 Take that animal and shoot her,” he de- 
manded, but before the soldier could obey, he 


82 LUCIA RUDINI 

withdrew the order. “Tie her to the tree in- 
stead, we may be able to milk her,” he said. 

The soldier nodded and advanced towards Gari- 
baldi with ponderous assurance, but Garibaldi 
was not going to be tied, she preferred her free- 
dom. She was not, however, unwilling to play a 
friendly game of tag; it was her favorite sport 
and she was very proficient in it. When the big 
soldier would come within reach of her, she would 
lower her head and duck under his arm, and before 
the astonished pursuer could collect his wits and 
look around, she would be browsing innocently 
close by. 

This game kept up for a long time. The men 
who were in sight dropped what they were doing 
and made an admiring circle; even the Captain 
had to smile. Lucia wanted to laugh outright, 
but she managed to keep her face set in grave 
lines. 

At last the soldier gave up the chase and re- 
tired among the jeers of his comrades to the side 
lines. The Captain saw an opportunity to 
amuse his men, and perhaps end their grumbling 


GARIBALDI PERFORMS 83 

for the time being. He offered a reward to the 
man that could catch the goat. 

First one soldier and then another attempted 
it, but none of them succeeded. After a while 
the fun of the chase wore off for Garibaldi, and she 
became angry. She had a little trick of butting 
that had won her Beppi’s dislike, and she used it 
to the discomfiture of the Austrian army. 

Lucia saw them one after another rub their 
shins and their knees, for although Garibaldi did 
not have horns, her head was very, very hard in- 
deed, and she was afraid that some one of them 
might grow angry and hurt her pet. She looked 
at the officer and pointed to the goat. 

“I can catch her, ,, she said simply. 

‘ 4 Well, do it then,” the Captain replied. 

Lucia called softly and made a queer clicking 
noise. Garibaldi stopped butting, and walked 
soberly over to her. She smiled good-naturedly 
at the men, and tied the rope that one of them 
handed to her around the goat’s neck. One of 
the soldiers pointed to a tree behind the shed, 
and she tied the rope securely around it. Gari- 


34 


LUCIA RUDINI 


baldi protested mildly, but she patted her and left 
her lying contentedly in the mud. 

She took time to look hastily about her before 
returning to the shed. The tree to which the 
goat was tied was on the edge of a steep hill that 
fell away abruptly from the little clearing. 

Lucia looked down it, and could hardly believe 
her eyes; for there, far below, was a silver stream 
glistening in the sunshine, and she realized with a 
sense of thankfulness that it could be no other 
than the little river that flowed below the west 
wall of Cellino, and right under the windows of 
the Convent. If she could only get away, it would 
be an easier matter to go back that way, than over 
the dangerous route by which she had come. But 
she was not very eager to return at once, for the 
idea that had come to her earlier in the day still 
tempted her to wait and listen. 

When she returned to the shed the Captain was 
nowhere in sight, and one of the soldiers pointed 
to the open door. She nodded and walked in, the 
key grated in the lock, and she was once more a 
prisoner. 


CHAPTER VH 


THE BEGGAR 


S the sun rose higher, a quiet settled over 



the clearing. The men talked and 


smoked, and the Captain read a news- 


paper at the door of his dugout. 

No one bothered Lucia, and she kept very quiet. 
She had had nothing to eat since the night before 
and she was very hungry, but she would not for 
the world ask her enemies for food. She was not 
above accepting it, however, when a little before 
noon one of the soldiers brought her a hard and 
tasteless biscuit and a cup of water. She ate 
greedily, and then tired out from so much excite- 
ment she fell asleep. 

She awoke an hour later to a scene of activity. 
She could see through the peek-hole that the Cap- 
tain was consulting his watch every little while, 
and the men were hurrying about excitedly. They 


85 


86 


LUCIA RUDINI 


all looked up at a certain mountain above with 
suspicious eyes, and Lucia could tell by the tone 
of their voices that they were angry about some- 
thing. 

A few minutes later the arrival of a very muddy 
and tired soldier from the opposite direction cre- 
ated a diversion. He saluted the Captain and 
handed him a message. Whatever the message 
was, it pleased the Captain, for he brought his 
fist down on his knee and laughed. Then he gave 
some very long, and to Lucia, unintelligible or- 
ders, and the men lost some of their ugly rebel- 
lious look. 

He chose two soldiers from the group before 
him, and motioned them into his dugout. Lucia 
tried to make something out of the strange words 
that the other men spoke, but she could not. They 
were eagerly questioning the messenger and giv- 
ing him food and water. He was answering them, 
and from the expression of their faces his replies 
were not cheering. At last he stood up, shrugged 
his shoulders and for the first time noticed Gari- 
baldi. 


THE BEGGAR 


87 


The other soldiers explained, and Lucia knew 
they were discussing her when they pointed to 
the shed. The messenger evidently suggested 
milking the goat, for after a little laughing and 
jesting, one of the men took a pail and approached 
Garibaldi. 

Now, no one had ever milked Garibaldi in all 
her life but Lucia, and from the disastrous at- 
tempts on the part of the soldiers it was evident 
that no one was ever going to, if that very par- 
ticular animal could prevent it, and she seemed 
quite able to, to judge from the results. 

Lucia watching through the cracks in the shed 
laughed softly to herself. She was not surprised 
when, a few minutes later, one of the men opened 
the door and told her to come out. 

He could not speak Italian and he resorted to 
the sign language. Lucia nodded in understand- 
ing. She might have pretended blank stupidity, 
but she wanted some milk herself, and this was a 
good way to get it. Besides, she decided that she 
would do something to make it impossible for 
them to lock her up again on her return. 


88 LUCIA RUDINI 

Garibaldi stood quite still as she milked her, 
and submitted meekly to her affectionate pats. 

The messenger drank greedily from the pail, 
and when he had finished there seemed to be 
nothing else for Lucia to do but return to the shed. 
She walked back to the door as slowly as possible, 
and looked hard at the lock. It was just an or- 
dinary padlock and it hung open on the rusty 
catch. She looked quickly at the men behind her. 
They were busy talking, and did not appear to be 
paying any attention to her. 

Very quickly, without seeming to do it, she 
touched the padlock; it swung on the catch, and 
then fell into the mud. Lucia put her foot over 
it and ground it in with her heel. 

When the soldier remembered her a few minutes 
later, and came over to shut the door, he grumbled 
at the loss of the lock, but he did not apparently 
connect her with its disappearance, nor did he 
bother much about looking for it. He shut the 
door and walked back to join the group that still 
surrounded the messenger. 

Lucia sat down again and watched the door of 


THE BEGGAR 


89 


the Captain’s dugout. She had wondered all day 
what the smiling Italian soldier and Beppi had 
done after she left. She knew that Beppi could 
easily find his way hack to the cottage, and in 
case Nana had already gone, and Lucia knew that 
in spite of her threats she would not go off alone, 
he would go into the town and some one would 
take care of him. 

As for the soldier, he would hear the rat, tat, 
tat, and know what it meant, and return to his 
comrades for help. She listened, but there was 
no sound of guns near enough to mean a fight close 
at hand. 

The thought puzzled her, but she dismissed it as 
the Captain and the two soldiers came out of the 
dugout. The men looked cross and sullen, but 
the Captain was still smiling. He walked over to 
the messenger, handed him a folded paper, and 
the man disappeared as mysteriously as he came. 

Lucia did not pay any attention to him, how- 
ever, for she was interested in the two soldiers. 
They were very busy buckling on their kit bags in 
preparation for a departure. When they were 


90 


LUCIA RUDINI 


ready, they stood at attention before the Cap- 
tain. After more orders from him, they started 
off down the hill just back of the shed. 

Lucia guessed that they were going to the river, 
with a cold feeling around her heart, she real- 
ized that they could go straight to the wall of 
Cellino. She did not stop to consider the many 
sentries who walked up and down the walls day 
and night, or the fact that two enemy soldiers 
would hardly walk up and attempt to enter a 
town in broad daylight. She only knew that the 
river led to Cellino, and that all she loved most 
in the world was there. 

She was sick with fear. She looked back at 
the Captain; he was again consulting his watch. 
The soldiers looked at him and fell to grumbling 
again. After a moment of indecision he called 
to them. 

They stood up and saluted. He gave a very 
peremptory order, and in a few minutes almost 
all of them had their guns on their shoulders, and 
waited his next word. The Captain himself 


THE BEGGAR 91 

buckled on his revolver, and the party started off 
at a brisk pace through the tunnel. 

Lucia watched them go. In a hazy way she 
realized that they were going out in search of the 
men who had left earlier in the morning. This 
was correct in part, but they were also going to 
look for another party of men, the ones who had 
been responsible for the rat, tat, tat, Lucia had 
heard. 

The diggers, led by her captor, had been sent 
out that morning to relieve their comrades al- 
ready at work. When none of them returned the 
Captain grew anxious, and was himself leading 
the searching party. 

If Lucia had known, she would have realized 
that her Italian soldier was in some way respon- 
sible for their absence, and she would have been 
delighted. As it was, she dismissed the Captain 
with a shrug and turned her attention to the few 
soldiers who remained. They were a little dis- 
tance from her, and most of them had their backs 
to her. 


92 


LUCIA RUDINI 


Lucia determined to try to slip out unnoticed. 
She waited until they were all talking at once. 
By their angry gestures they appeared to be dis- 
cussing something of great importance; none of 
them even glanced towards the shed. 

Lucia pushed open the door very gently and 
waited. No one noticed it, then she laid down fiat 
and crawled out into the mud; it was slow work, 
but in the end it proved the best way, for she 
reached the tree and Garibaldi without being dis- 
covered. The shed hid her from sight. She hur- 
riedly untied the rope and freed the goat. It 
had never entered her mind to escape and leave 
her behind. 

Garibaldi, free once more, ran down the steep 
hill her hoofs making no more than a soft, pad, pad 
noise in the mud. Lucia dropped to the ground 
again and crawled slowly after her. Below her, 
almost at the river’s edge, she could see the two 
soldiers slipping and stumbling along. 

She wriggled on in the mud until she was well 
below the crest of the hill, then she got up and be- 
gan to run. She jumped from one rock to the 


THE BEGGAR 


93 


next, always keeping the two men in sight, but 
keeping under cover herself. The men kept to 
the bank of the river and moved forward 
cautiously. Lucia kept abreast of them, but 
stayed high up above their heads. 

It was a long walk, for the river twisted and 
turned many times before it reached the walls of 
Cellino. But it did not tire Lucia, as it did the 
two men. They walked slower and slower as the 
afternoon wore on, stopping every few minutes to 
rest and talk excitedly. 

At a little before sunset the guns grew louder 
and seemed to be much nearer. All day there 
had been a dull rumble, but now they burst out 
into a terrific roar. Lucia saw the men below her 
stop and look up. They stood still for a long 
time, and then hurried on. Until now the road 
had been deserted, but ahead at the end of a foot- 
bridge, just around a sharp turn, Lucia, from her 
vantage point, could see another figure. The sol- 
diers could not have seen him, but when they 
reached the turn of the road they both left the 
open and took cover in the rocks above. 


94 


LUCIA EUDINI 


Lucia watched narrowly. They did not stop as 
she half expected them to do, but crept on until 
they were abreast of the man. He was a beggar 
to judge by his shabby clothes, and he was appar- 
ently whiling away his afternoon by staring into 
the river. 

Lucia’s first thought was that the Austrians 
would shoot him. She caught her breath sharply 
when a queer thing happened. One of the sol- 
diers picked up a stone and threw it down into the 
stream. 


CHAPTER Vin 


THE SURPRISE ATTACK 

W ITHOUT turning his head, the beggar 
picked up a stone and tossed it 
into the river. He repeated this 

twice. 

Lucia watched, fascinated. The soldiers left 
their hiding-place and came down to the road. 
The beggar took something out of the pocket of 
his coat, handed it to one of the soldiers, and 
shuffled off in the opposite direction. 

Lucia waited to see what the soldiers would do. 
She expected them to return, but instead they 
waited until the beggar was out of sight, and then 
hurried across the foot-bridge and plunged hur- 
riedly into the mountains opposite. 

Lucia caught sight of their shining helmets 
every now and then as they climbed higher and 
higher, and finally disappeared. She was un- 

95 


96 


LUCIA RUDINI 


decided what to do, but after a little hesitation 
she determined to follow the beggar. Now that 
the Austrians were out of sight there was no need 
for her to avoid the open path, and she hurried 
to it and ran quickly in the direction that the man 
had taken. She did not know where she was, or 
how far she would have to go before she reached 
Cellino. She had seen nothing of the town from 
the mountains, and she guessed that it was much 
farther away than she had at first supposed. 

She walked on as fast as she could, keeping a 
sharp lookout for the beggar, but he had appar- 
ently disappeared, for she could not find him or 
any trace of him. 

It was late in the afternoon when she reached 
a part of the river that was familiar to her, and 
with a start she realized that she was still a good 
three miles from Cellino. She was very tired 
and very hungry, but she sat down to consider the 
best plan to follow. She knew nothing of what 
had passed between the men at the bridge, but she 
had sense enough to realize that whatever it was, 
it was not for the good of the Italian forces. 


THE SURPRISE ATTACK 


97 


Some one must be warned, and soon, for the 
speed of the Austrian soldiers made her feel that 
the danger was imminent. 

‘ 1 1 will go on to town and warn them, ’ ’ she said 
aloud to Garibaldi, “that is the best plan, and then 
I can find something to eat. ’ ’ 

She jumped up and started off with renewed en- 
ergy. At a little path that turned to the right 
she left the river and came out on the broad road 
at the foot of a valley. It was not long after 
that, when she saw the little white cottage ahead. 
The sight of it gave her courage. There, at any 
rate, would be a human being to talk to, and 
bread to eat. She ran the rest of the way, and did 
not pause until she was in the little room. 

The sight that met her eyes sent a sudden 
damper over her spirits. Everything was upside 
down. The green bed was stripped of its sheets, 
and all the familiar ornaments had gone. Lucia 
stood dumbfounded trying to realize that Nana 
had really gone. A feeling of loneliness and des- 
pair made the tears come to her eyes. 

She clenched her fists and tried to swallow the 


98 


LUCIA RUDINI 


lump in her throat, but without success, the tears 
came in spite of her and in her disappointment 
she threw herself down on the bed and sobbed. 
Fear got the better of her, and in an agony of 
mind she imagined every possible harm to Beppi. 

But she was not allowed to stay long in that 
state of mind, for suddenly the guns broke into a 
terrible roar. The air was black with smoke and 
the house trembled and rocked under her. 

She jumped up and ran to the window. Great 
volumes of smoke arose to the east, and higher 
geysers of dirt and rock flew up into the air. 

“The Austrians l” Lucia did not stop to think 
in her fear. She dashed out of the house and 
down the road in the opposite direction from the 
town. Without realizing the personal danger to 
herself, she ran as fast as she could. Fear and 
the noise of the exploding shells sent her plunging 
ahead regardless of direction. 

Instinctively she took the path to the right at 
the foot of the village and climbed up to the little 
plateau. She was directly under the fire of her 
own guns, but the noise from both sides was so 


THE SURPRISE ATTACK 


99 


great tliat she did not know it, and she forged 
ahead, shouting. In all the tumult she could not 
even hear her own voice, but to shout relieved her 
nerves of the terrible strain. 

When she reached the plateau she climbed on 
up, choosing the spot where, earlier in the day, the 
Italian soldiers had come from, and slipping and 
sliding, but always goaded on by fear, and the 
knowledge that she must tell some one about the 
beggar, she kept on her way. 

She did not know how long she ran, or when it 
was that she stumbled, but suddenly everything 
was black before her eyes, and the noise of the 
guns was blotted out by the awful ringing in her 
ears. Then came oblivion. 

When she next realized anything, she was con- 
scious of some one bending over her and holding 
a water bottle to her lips. She drank gratefully 
and opened her eyes. The Italian soldier was be- 
side her, and another man was lying on the ground 
near her. 

“Give me something to eat,” she said, trying to 
sit up, “or I will go away again. ,, Going away 


100 LUCIA RUDINI 

was the only way she knew of, to express the sen- 
sation of fainting. 

The Italian took something out of his knapsack 
and gave it to her. Lucia ate ravenously, and 
the queer feeling at the pit of her stomach dis- 
appeared. 

“How did you escape ?” he asked. 

The question brought back a sudden wave of 
memory, and Lucia jumped up excitedly. 

“By the river road — two Austrians and a beg- 
gar — they met by the foot-bridge, over there 
where the noise comes from; I saw them.” She 
recalled the facts jerkily. 

“Go on!” the Italian’s eyes flashed. 

“The beggar gave the Austrians a paper, and 
they left with it and climbed up into the moun- 
tains across the river. I could not follow with- 
out being seen, and when I tried to find the beggar 
he had disappeared. The river runs right under 
the wall.” 

‘ ‘ Oh, look ! ’ 9 She stopped abruptly and put her 
hand over her eyes. 

A great cloud of fire followed a terrific report, 


THE SURPRISE ATTACK 101 

and from the distance of the hill it looked as if 
the whole town of Cellino was in flames. 

The Italian snatched a field glass that lay on 
the ground beside the wounded man, and put it 
to his eyes. Then without a word he dashed off. 
Lucia followed him. A giant tree grew between 
two huge rocks a little further up the mountain, 
and the Italian climbed up it. 

Lucia watched him, and for the first time she 
noticed that several wires were strung along and 
ended high up in its branches. She heard the 
Italian calling some directions, and knew that a 
telephone must be hidden somewhere in the tree. 
She could make nothing of the orders ; they were 
mostly numbers, and she waited impatiently until 
he returned to her. 

“Stay here,” he said quickly, “and lie down 
flat — don’t move. The Austrians are advancing 
on the other side of the river, and Cellino will fall 
if the bridge is not blown up.” 

“But who can get to it?” Lucia demanded. 

“I can; it is mined. If I can reach it we may 
drive them back.” 


102 


LUCIA EUDINI 


He did not wait to say more. 

Lucia watched him impatiently as he stumbled 
and slid clumsily down the rough trail below her. 
The shells were coming nearer and nearer, and 
the air was filled with brilliant fire. 

She watched the man every second, afraid to 
lose track of him. At the base of the rock he fell. 
She caught her breath and shouted aloud when he 
picked himself up and stumbled on. He reached 
the road and was just starting across the little 
path that led to the river, when a shell exploded 
so near him that the smoke hid him completely 
from view. 


CHAPTER IX 


THE BRIDGE 

I T was several minutes before Lucia saw him 
again ; he was lying flat, a little to one side 
of the road, and he was very still. She 
waited, hoping against hope to see him move, and 
fighting against the horrible thought that filled 
her mind. 

“He is dead,” she exclaimed, terrified, “and 
they are moving; and the bridge!” 

Without another thought she got up and very 
carefully started down the descent, her mind 
concentrated on the bridge. She did not attempt 
to go to the road, but kept to the shelter of the 
rocks, and a little to one side of the fire. The 
shells were bursting all around her, but she was 
above the range of the guns, and comparatively 
safe. 

She hurried as fast as she could, but it was hard 

103 


104 


LUCIA RUDINI 


to keep the direction, in all the noise and blinding 
dames. She did not dare to look towards Cel- 
lino, or think what that hideous column of smoke 
might mean. 

At last she reached the river, and the bridge 
was in sight a little distance ahead. It was an 
old stone bridge, and wide enough for men to 
walk four abreast. At that point the river was 
very wide and the bridge was made in three 
arches. It looked very substantial, and Lucia 
stopped, suddenly terrified by the thought that 
she did not have the slightest idea how or where 
to blow it up. 

She looked about her as if for inspiration. She 
found it in the moving line of men just visible far 
above in the mountains. 

The Austrians ! They were advancing, and 
the sudden realization of it brought out all her 
courage and daring, and intensified the hatred in 
her heart. 

“They shall not cross our bridge / 1 she shouted 
defiantly, and raced ahead regardless of the rain 
of shot and shell. 


THE BRIDGE 


105 


But when she reached the bridge she stopped 
again, helpless and completely baffled. The wall 
rose above her high and impregnable. A little 
farther along, the window of the convent seemed 
to be ablaze with light. The church had been 
struck, and Lucia could feel the heat of the flames 
from where she stood. 

The North Gate seemed miles away, and she 
turned to the convent. She knew there was a 
door that gave on to the river bank, and she ran 
forward. She found it and pushed frantically 
against it. It was locked, the only other open- 
ing being a window highei up. 

Lucia looked at it in despair. It was her only 
chance. The glass had been smashed by the im- 
pact of the bursting shells and lay in broken bits 
under her feet. She could just reach the ledge 
with her hands, and the stone felt warm. The 
wall was rough and uneven, and after a struggle 
she managed to find a foothold and pulled herself 
up. The jagged glass still in the casement cut her 
hands, but she did not stop to think about it 
Once inside she ran along the dark corridor and 


106 


LUCIA RUDINI 


up the few steps that led to the first floor. The 
big iron doors were open, and she caught her first 
sight of the town. 

The convent was just outside, and on the road 
that led south a great stream of people carrying 
every size of bundles, was hurrying along. Lucia 
recognized some of them, but the faces she most 
longed to see were not there. 

She turned away, for the sight seemed to drain 
all her courage, and she longed to run after them, 
but the memory of that moving mass of soldiers 
made her true to her trust, and she hurried 
through the convent, calling for aid. 

At the farthest door she discovered several of 
the sisters hurrying about and trying to clear the 
big ward filled with wounded soldiers. They had 
been brought in that morning, and some of them 
were very ill indeed. The sisters were carrying 
them out on improvised stretchers. Those who 
were able to stand up staggered along as best 
they could by themselves. Lucia saw one boy 
leaning heavily against the door, and ran to him. 


THE BRIDGE 107 

“Roderigo Vicello!” she exclaimed, when she 
looked up at him. 

Roderigo swayed and would have fallen if she 
had not supported him. 

“I can not go,” he said weakly. “I am too 
tired, and I want to go. I have watched her out 
of sight, but I am too tired to follow.” 

Lucia looked at him intently. It seemed to 
her imposssible that a man, and a soldier, could 
bother to think of a girl at such a time. She took 
his arm firmly and shook him. 

“Do you know how to blow up a bridge that is 
mined?” she demanded excitedly. 

“Yes, pull out the pin,” Roderigo replied, “if 
it is a time fuse,” he spoke slowly and painstak- 
ingly. 

“Pin?” Lucia exclaimed impatiently, “I don’t 
understand, you will have to come. Listen, the 
Austrians are just a little way off across the 
river, they must not cross the bridge.” 

Roderigo was alert at once. The light came 
back into his eyes and his body stiffened. 


108 


LUCIA RUDINI 


“What are you saying ?” he demanded. “Do 
you mean, they are coming from that side?” 

“Yes,” Lucia exclaimed, “there is no time to 
spare; hurry, I will help you.’ 

She put her strong, young arm about his waist, 
and by leaning most of his weight on her shoulder 
he managed to crawl along. Lucia was half 
crazy with impatience, but she suited her step to 
his, and helped him all she could. 

At last they reached the lower door. She 
opened it hurriedly and the bridge was in sight, 
but so were the Austrians. They were so near 
that what had seeemed one solid mass now re- 
solved itself into individual shapes. To Lucia it 
seemed as if a great sea of men were rushing 
down upon them. 

The exertion fi^om the walk made Roderigo 
sway, and just before they reached the bridge he 
fell forward. Lucia crouched down beside him, 
and begged and pulled until he was on the bridge. 

“Now where is it? Tell me what to do,” she 
begged, “see they are almost here.” 


THE BRIDGE 


109 


With a tremendous effort Roderigo pulled him- 
self to the edge of the bridge and located the mine. 
In a voice that was so weak that Lucia could 
hardly hear it he gave the directions. Lucia 
obeyed. 

‘ ‘When will it go off!” she demanded. ‘‘Will 
we have time to get away!” 

Roderigo shrugged his shoulders. 

“You will,” he said. “Run as fast as you can, 
I don’t know how long it will take.” 

Lucia did not wait to argue. She caught him 
under his arms and dragged him back to the con- 
vent as fast as she could. 

Roderigo had given up all hope, but as they 
drew nearer to the door of the convent, the wish 
to live asserted itself, and he got to his feet and 
ran with Lucia. They did not stop until they 
were safe on the road beyond. The last inhabi- 
tant of Cellino was out of sight, and it seemed as 
if they were alone. 

They waited, Lucia supporting Roderigo ’s head 
in her arms. 


110 


LUCIA RUDINI 


The explosion came, there was a crash, and 
then a great shaking of the earth. Lucia listened, 
her eyes flashing. 

“Wait here,” she said to Roderigo, “I will re- 
turn at once.” She ran hurriedly back to the 
convent and down again to the door. 

The old bridge was ruined. Great pieces of it 
were torn out and had fallen high on the banks. 
The center span was entirely gone, and the river, 
broad and impassable, ran smoothly between the 
jagged ends. 

Lucia did not stand long in contemplation of 
the scene before her. She hurried back to the 
road. A sister was beside Roderigo, and Lucia 
went to her. 

“It is not safe back in there,” she said, point- 
ing to the convent. “A shell may hit it.” 

The sister nodded. 

“It hardly matters,” she replied quietly. “No 
place is safe. We will take him there; he is too 
ill to be carried far . 9 9 

Lucia agreed, and between them they carried 


THE BRIDGE 111 

the unconscious Roderigo back to the ward and 
laid him gently on one of the beds. 

Sister Francesca turned back the cuffs of her 
robe and began doing what she could. As she 
worked she talked. 

“We were all ordered to leave,’ ’ she said; “but 
when we were well along the road I turned back. 
It seemed so cowardly to go when we were most 
needed. The rest thought that by night the Aus- 
trians would be in possession, but I could not be- 
lieve it.” 

She was a little woman with a soft voice and 
big blue eyes, and she spoke with such gentle as- 
surance that Lucia felt comforted. 

“They will not come to-night,” she said, “for 
the bridge is down, and our troops will surely be 
able to force them back.” 

Sister Francesca nodded. 

“I hope so. At any rate, there will be wounded 
and my place is here.” 

At the word “wounded,” the vivid picture of 
the smoke-choked valley, the shell explosion, and 


112 LUCIA RUDINI 

the still form of the Italian soldier flashed before 
Lucia’s mind. 

“What am I doing here?” she said impatiently. 
“There are wounded now and perhaps we can save 
them.” 

She did not offer any further explanation, but 
slipped out of the big room and hurried back to 
the road once more. 

The sun had set and twilight gleamed patchy 
through the clouds of smoke. It was still light 
enough to see, and Lucia hurried to the gate. The 
first sight that she had of Cellino made her stop 
and shudder. The church was in ruins, and every 
pane of glass was broken in the entire village. In 
their haste the refugees had thrown their belong- 
ings out of their windows to the street below, and 
then had gone off and left them. Great piles of 
furniture and broken china littered the way, and 
stalls had been tipped over in the market place. 

No one stopped Lucia; the town was deserted. 
She ran hurriedly across to the North Gate, afraid 
of the ghostly shadows and unnatural sights. At 
the gate a splendid sight met her eyes. 


THE BRIDGE 


113 


From the convent she had only seen the Aus- 
trians, the wall had cut off her view of the west. 
But now she commanded a view of the whole field, 
and to her joy the Italians were advancing as 
steadily from the west as the Austrians from the 
east. They would meet at the river, and at the 
memory of the bridge Lucia threw back her head 
and laughed. It was not a merry laugh, but a 
grim triumphant one, and it held all the relief that 
she felt. 

But, splendid as the sight before her was, she 
did not stay long to look at it. Below, somewhere 
in the valley, the Italian soldier of the shining 
white teeth and the pennies was lying wounded, or 
dead, and nothing could make Lucia stop until she 
found him. 

The heavy artillery fire had let up a little, and 
the shells were not quite so many. 

Lucia started to run. She had made up her 
mind earlier in the day that if she moved fast 
enough she would escape being hurt. She uncon- 
sciously blamed the slowness of the Italian soldier 
for his injury. She passed her cottage half-way 


114 


LUCIA RUDINI 


down the hill. It was still standing, but a shell 
had dropped on the little goat-shed and blown it 
to pieces. One of the uprights and the door, which 
was made of stout branches lashed together with 
cord, still stood. The door flapped drearily and 
added to the desolation of the scene. 

Lucia did not stop to investigate the damage, 
but hurried ahead. She was afraid the light 
would fade before she reached the wounded sol- 
dier. 

At the end of the road in the bottom of the val- 
ley she was just between both sides, the shells 
dropped all about her and she stood still, bewil- 
dered and frightened. 

The high mountains on either side made sound- 
ing boards for the noise, and the roar of the guns 
seemed to double in volume. 

“Lie down !” 

A voice almost under her foot made her jump, 
and she saw the Italian soldier. She did as he 
commanded, and he pulled her towards him. 

He was very weak, and when he moved one leg 


THE BRIDGE 


115 


dragged behind him. He tried to crawl with 
Lucia into the shell hole close by. She saw what 
he was doing and did her best to help. When they 
finally rolled down into the shell hole, the man 
groaned. 

Lucia could feel that his forehead was wet with 
great drops of perspiration. She found his water 
bottle and gave him a drink. 

“What’s happened?” he asked, speaking close 
to her ear. 

Lucia told him as much as she knew. 

“Then the bridge has gone?” There was hope 
in his voice. 

“Gone for good. They can never cross it, and 
our men are just over there.” 

“How can I get you back?” she asked. “The 
convent is so far away.” 

The soldier shook his head. “You can’t. W 7 e 
are caught here between the two fires, it would be 
certain death to move. What made you come 
back ? ’ ’ 

“To find you,” Lucia replied. “I could not 


116 


LUCIA RUDINI 


come sooner, there was so much to do. I even for- 
got you, but when I remembered, I ran all the 
way and now I am helpless.” 

“Don’t give up,” the Italian replied. ‘‘You 
must have courage for both of us, for I am useless. 
My leg has been badly injured by a piece of shell, 
and I cannot even crawl.” 

“Then there is nothing to do but wait for the 
light, ’ 9 Lucia was trembling all over. ‘ ‘ Oh, what 
a long day it has been ! ’ 9 

“But the dawn will come soon,” the soldier 
tried to cheer her, “and then perhaps the 
stretcher-bearers will find us. If they do not — ” 
‘ ‘ If they do not, I will find a way to take you to 
the convent,” Lucia replied with sudden spirit, 
and with the same determination that had resulted 
in her blowing up the bridge, she added to herself : 
“He shall not die!” 


CHAPTER X 


GAKIBALDI, streichek-beaker 
HE long night set in, and the soldier, wear- 



ied from his long wait, dropped to sleep in 


spite of the noise. Lucia’s tired little 
body rested, but her eyes never relaxed their 
watch in the darkness. 

The fire kept up steadily, and at irregular in- 
tervals a star-shell would illuminate the high 
mountains. Towards midnight there was an ex- 
tra loud explosion, and once more the terrifying 
flames seemed to encircle Cellino. 

Lucia wondered dully what had been struck. 
The church was gone, and she supposed this was 
the town hall. It looked too near, as far as she 
could judge, for the convent. 

Her ears were becoming accustomed to the 
sound, and she thought the fire from both sides 
was being concentrated towards the south. The 


117 


118 LUCIA RUDINI 

shells near them lessened, and at last stopped. 
Before dawn the Italian stirred, and called out in 
his sleep. 

Lucia spoke to him, but he did not answer; he 
was so exhausted that he was soon unconscious 
again. 

Lucia watched the east, and tried to imagine 
Beppi safe and sound in a town far away from 
this terrible din, but she could be sure of nothing. 
She remembered Roderigo’s words, ‘She is safe,’ 
and knew that he must have meant Maria. Surely 
Beppi and Nana were with her and Aunt Rudini; 
it could not be otherwise. 

With a guilty start she remembered Garibaldi. 
Where was she, and what had become of her in all 
the terrors of yesterday? Lucia could not re- 
member having noticed her after she left the foot- 
bridge. Was she safe in the mountains, or lying 
dead in a shell hole? 

“My Garibaldi, poor little one, she would not 
understand, and she will think I neglected her.” 

Tears of pity and weariness stung Lucia’s 
cheeks. The thought of her little goat, suffering 


GARIBALDI, STRETCHER-BEARER 119 

and neglected, seemed to be more than she could 
bear. She buried her head in her arm and cried 
softly. The tears were a relief to her, and long 
after she had stopped sobbing they trickled down 
her cheeks. 

She fell into a light doze now that her watch was 
so nearly ended, and did not waken until the east 
was streaked with gray. She might not have 
awakened then, had it not been for a cold, wet nose 
burrowing in her neck, and a plaintive, “Naa, 
Naa!” 

She sat up suddenly to discover Garibaldi, cov- 
ered with mud from her ears to her tail, looking 
very woe-begone, standing beside her. Regard- 
less of the mud Lucia threw her arms around her 
pet, and for once in her life the little goat seemed 
to return her caress. 

When Lucia lifted her head there was a smile 
on her lips, and the old light of determination 
shone in her eyes. She got to her knees slowly 
and looked about her. The guns were booming 
back and forth, but their position seemed to be 
changed. The Austrian guns still sounded from 


120 LUCIA RUDINI 

across the river, but their range was much farther 
south. 

Lucia looked towards the west. None of the 
guns that were there the night before could be 
heard. With a throb of joy she realized that the 
booming now came from the town. 

“Had the Italians crept up and into Cellino 
during the night ? ’ ’ The very idea was so exciting 
that she could not rest until she made sure. 

She stood up and walked over to the road. The 
gate had an odd appearance in the half light. She 
walked up the hill a little way, rubbing her eyes 
as she went. Something behind the wall seemed 
to appear suddenly, emit a puff of smoke, and then 
disappear. 

Lucia had never seen a big gun in her life, and 
she did not know that one was hidden securely 
in the cover of the wall near the ruins of the 
church, for so quietly had the great monster ar- 
rived, and so stealthily had the soldiers worked, 
that its sudden appearance seemed almost a 
miracle. 

Lucia put it down as one, and offered her prayer 


GARIBALDI, STRETCHER-BEARER 121 


of thankfulness from the middle of the muddy 
road. Then the work at hand took the place of 
her surprise, and she ran back to her wounded sol- 
dier and roused him gently. He opened his eyes ; 
they were bright with fever, and he tossed rest- 
lessly. 

Lucia tried to move him, but could not. He was 
very big, and she could not pull him as she had the 
slender Roderigo. 

As she stopped to consider, the walls of Cel- 
lino suddenly seemed to let loose a fury of smoke 
and flame. Nothing that had happened during 
the day before equalled it. The big guns boomed 
and the smaller ones sent out sharp, cracking 
noises that were even more terrifying. 

Poor Lucia dropped to her face again, and Gar- 
ibaldi cowered beside her. 

Nothing seemed to happen. The shells did not 
fall near them as she had expected, and after 
her first fright had passed, she got to her feet 
again. 

Tugging at the soldier was useless, and an idea 
was forming in her mind. She ran as fast as she 


122 LUCIA EUDINI 

could up the hill to the cottage, calling Garibaldi 
to follow. 

At the shed she stopped and looked at the door. 
It was light, and she soon tore it away from its 
support. Then she went into the cottage and 
came back with a rope. She made a loop and put 
it over the goafs head. Then with two long 
pieces she contrived a harness and hitched the 
door to it. One end dragged on the ground, and 
the other was about a foot above it. The rope 
was crossed on the goat’s back and tied firmly to 
the long ends of the door that did duty as shafts. 
Garibaldi was too disheartened to protest, and 
Lucia had little trouble in leading her down the 
hill. 

The soldier was delirious when she reached him, 
but he was so weak that it was an easy matter to 
roll him on to the improvised stretcher. 

Lucia took hold of one shaft, and with Garibaldi 
pulling too, they started off. 

It was a long and weary climb, but at last they 
reached the cottage. 

The terrible jolting had been agony for the sol- 


GARIBALDI, STRETCHER-BEARER 123 

dier. He regained consciousness on the way, and 
from time to time a groan escaped him. But when 
he was in the house he did his best to smile, and 
crawled onto the mattress that Lucia had pulled 
to the floor. 

She made haste to take off his knapsack, and 
under his direction she dressed the ugly wound in 
his thigh. Her fingers, only used to rough work, 
moved clumsily, but she managed to make him a 
little more comfortable. He smiled up at her 
bravely. 

“Poor little one, you are tired. Go and eat,” 
he whispered. And Lucia, after she saw his head 
sink back on the pillow, found a stale loaf of black 
bread and began to munch it slowly. 

The soldier pointed to his knapsack and told 
her to eat whatever she found in it. 

“There should be some of my emergency ra- 
tions left,” he said faintly. 

Lucia found some dried beef and offered it to 
him, but he shook his head and asked for a drink 
of water. She gave it to him, but his eyes closed 
and his head fell back as he drank. She ate all 


124 


LUCIA EUDINI 


the beef and a cake of chocolate that she found, 
and then went to the door to look out. 

Cellino was enveloped in smoke and she could 
not see the gate. The guns were barking, and 
little spurts of white smoke seemed to punctuate 
each separate fire. Away to the east the enemy’s 
guns were still booming. 

Lucia realized that a hard battle was under way, 
and that it would be useless to try to get help until 
there was a lull. She returned to the room and 
looked down at the soldier. He was moaning 
softly, and his eyes looked up at her beseechingly. 


CHAPTER XI 


THE AMERICAN 


A 


RE you suffering very much?” she 
asked softly. 


The man nodded, his eyes closed, and 
a queer pallor came over his face. Lucia was sud- 
denly terrified. She felt very helpless in this bat- 
tle with death, but her determination never left 
her. 

She ran to the door. Poor Garibaldi was still 
standing hitched to the stretcher. Lucia went to 
her and led her back to the door of the cottage. 
She looked half-fearfully, half-angrily at the town 
above her. 

“He shall not die!” she said between her teeth, 
and went back into the house. 

The transfer from the bed to the stretcher was 
very difficult to manage, for the poor soldier was 


125 


126 


LUCIA EUDINI 


beyond helping himself. But Lucia succeeded 
without hurting him too much, and once more the 
strange trio started out on their climb. 

They were in no great danger, for only an occa- 
sional shell burst near them. The fighting was 
going on below the east wall. Lucia and Gari- 
baldi toiled up the hill, each one using every bit 
of their strength. 

The soldier was limp and lifeless, his head 
rolled with every bump. He looked like one dead, 
but Lucia refused even to consider such a possi- 
bility. She urged Garibaldi on and tugged with 
determined persistence. 

They were just below the wall when Lucia 
stopped to rest. The little goat was staggering 
from the exertion, and she was out of breath. She 
looked at the gate, it was only a little way off, but 
it seemed miles, and she wondered if she could 
go on. 

She looked up at the wall. A man dressed in a 
uniform unlike the Italian soldiers was looking 
down at her. Lucia called to him just as he 
jumped to the ground. She held her breath ex- 





THE AMERICAN 129 

pecting to see him hurt, but he landed on his feet 
and ran to her. 

“For the love of Pete, what have you got 
there ?” he asked in a language that Lucia did not 
understand. 

She looked up at him bewildered. 

“Ido not understand what you say, but the sol- 
dier is very sick. Please help me carry him to 
the convent,’ ’ she said hurriedly. 

“Hum, well you may be right,” the big man 
laughed, “but I guess what you want is help.” 

He leaned over the wounded Italian. 

“Pretty far gone, but there’s hope. Steady 
now, I’ve got you.” He lifted the man gently in 
his arms and carried him on his back. 

Lucia watched him with admiration shining in 
her eyes. She followed with the goat through the 
gate. 

Once in the town she could hardly believe her 
eyes. Soldiers seemed to be everywhere, shout- 
ing and calling from one to the other. She saw 
the little guns that were making all the sharp, 
clicking noises, and she knew that just below, and 


130 LUCIA RUDINI 

on the other side of the river, the Austrians were 
fighting desperately. 

They passed many wounded as they hurried 
along, and to each one the big man would call out 
cheerily. Lucia wished she could understand 
what he said, or even what language he spoke. 
It was not German, of course, and she did not 
think it was French. 

i 6 Perhaps he was a tourist !” she asked him 
shyly, but he shook his head. 

“I don’t get you, I’m sorry. I’m an American, 
you see.” 

“Oh, Americano!” Lucia clapped her hands 
delightedly. “Iam glad, I thought so, American 
is the name of the tourists, just as I guessed,” she 
replied. “I have heard of Americans and I have 
seen some in the summer, but they were not like 
you. ’ ’ 

She looked up in his face and smiled. 

The American did not understand a word of 
her Italian, but he saw the smile, and answered it 
with a good-natured grin. 

“You’re a funny kid,” he said. “I wish I could 


THE AMERICAN 131 

find out what you are talking about, and where 
you got ahold of that queer rig and the goat.” 

They had reached the other gate by now, and 
they hurried through it and to the convent. 

Several of the sisters had returned, and there 
were doctors and nurses all busy in the long room 
where, the night before, Lucia had left Roderigo 
and Sister Francesca. 

The American laid the soldier down on one of 
the beds, and hurried to one of the doctors. 

* 1 Saw this youngster dragging this man on a 
sort of stretcher hitched to a goat,” he said. 
“He’s pretty bad. Better look at him.” 

The doctor nodded. Lucia stood beside her sol- 
dier and waited. She was almost afraid of what 
the doctor would say. He leaned over him and 
began taking off his muddy uniform, while the 
American helped. When he had examined the 
wound, he hurried over to a table and came back 
with a queer looking instrument. To Lucia it 
looked like a small bottle attached to a very long 
needle. 

“Don’t, don’t, you are cruel!” she protested, 


132 


LUCIA RUDINI 


as he pushed it slowly into the soldier. She put 
out her hand angrily, but the American pulled her 
back. 

“It's all right,” he said soothingly. “It’s to 
make him well.” 

Lucia shook her head, and the doctor turned to 
her. He spoke excellent Italian. 

“It is to save his life, child, and it doesn’t hurt 
him, I promise you. Now tell me, where did you 
find him?” 

Lucia explained hurriedly. The story, as it 
came from her excited lips, sounded like some 
wild, distorted dream. The doctor called to Sis- 
ter Francesca. 

“Is this child telling me the truth?” he asked 
wonderingly. 

“As far as I know,” she said; “and that boy in 
the third cot blew up the bridge. I know she went 
out to find the wounded.” 

The doctor did not reply at once. He was hunt- 
ing for the soldier’s identification tag. When he 
found it, he read it and whistled. 


THE AMERICAN 133 

‘ i Captain Riccardi ! ’ ’ he exclaimed. “ By J ove, 
we can’t let him die.” 

It could not be said that the doctor redoubled 
his efforts, for he was working his best then, but 
he added perhaps a little more interest to his 
work. 

The American helped him, and Lucia, at a word 
from Sister Francesca, hurried to her and helped 
her with what she was doing. It was not until 
many hours later that she stopped working, for 
more wounded were being brought in every few 
minutes by the other stretcher-bearers, and there 
was much to do. But at last there was a lull, and 
Lucia ran through the long corridor and down to 
the door. 

She opened it a crack and looked out. Before 
her, stretched along the banks of the river, were 
countless Austrian soldiers, staggering and fight- 
ing in a wild attempt to run away from the guns 
in the wall that mowed them down pitilessly. The 
officers tried to drive them on, but the men were 
too terrified; they could not advance under such 


134 


LUCIA EUDINI 


steady fire. A little farther on, there was the be- 
ginning of a rude bridge. The enemy had evi- 
dently tried to build it during the night, but had 
been forced to abandon it after the Italians 
reached their new position. 

As Lucia watched, the men seemed to form in 
some sort of order, and retreat back into the hills. 
Their guns stopped suddenly, and only the Italian 
fire continued. 

It was a horrible scene, and in spite of the splen- 
did knowledge that an undisputed victory was 
theirs, Lucia turned away and closed the door be- 
hind her. She ran up to the big door and out on 
the road. 

There were signs of the battle all about her in 
the big shell holes in the road, and in the ruins 
still smoking inside the walls, but there was no 
such sight as she had just witnessed, and she took 
a deep breath of the warm fresh air. 


CHAPTER XII 


A REUNION 


S HE shaded her eyes and looked down the 
road. 

Garibaldi, freed from her harness, was 
lying down in the sunshine, and as Lucia watched 
her she saw a familiar figure running towards 
her. She saw it stop and pat the goat. With a 
cry of joy she recognized Maria, bedraggled and 
muddy, but without doubt Maria. She ran for- 
ward to meet her. 

“ Maria, where have you come from?” she called 
as the older girl threw herself into her out- 
stretched arms and began to cry. 

“Oh, from miles and miles away! I have been 
running since late last night,” she sobbed. 

“But what has happened? Beppi, Nana, are 
they safe?” Lucia demanded. 


135 


136 


LUCIA RUDINI 


“Yes, yes, they are all safe with mother,” Ma- 
ria replied. 

“Then why did you come back?” Lucia per- 
sisted. 

“Oh, I could not bear it!” Maria tried to stifle 
her sobs. “All yesterday, as we ran away from 
the guns, I kept thinking — back there, there is 
work and I am running away. I knew that you 
were here, and I thought you were killed. Nana 
was half crazy with fear and we could get nothing 
out of her.” 

“But Beppi, he is safe, and aunt is taking care 
of him?” Lucia insisted. 

“Oh, he is safe, of course, and so excited over 
his adventure, but he was crying for you last 
night, and we had hard work to comfort him.” 

Maria paused, and Lucia looked into her eyes. 
There was a question there and she knew that her 
cousin did not give voice to it. She put her arm 
around her and led her back towards the convent. 

“Come,” she said, smiling with something of 
her old mischievousness. “There is much to be 


A REUNION 137 

done, and I will take you to Sister Francesca. 
She will tell you where to begin .’ 9 

Maria followed her. 

Lucia went back to the ward and did not stop 
until she stood beside Roderigo’s bed. He was 
asleep, but his brows were drawn together in a 
worried frown. Lucia put her finger on her lip 
and turned to her cousin and pointed. Maria 
looked ; a glad light came into her eyes, and with- 
out a sound she fell on her knees beside the bed. 

Lucia left her and went over to Sister Fran- 
cesca. She was awfully tired, and her arms were 
numb, but she did not dare stop for fear she would 
not be able to begin again. 

“What can I do?” she asked. 

Sister Francesca pointed to two empty buckets. 
“Go out to the well and fill those. We need more 
water badly,” she said, without looking up. 

Lucia picked up the pails and walked to the end 
of the room, through a little side door and into a 
cloister. In the center of it was an old well that 
she worked by turning an iron wheel. 


138 


LUCIA RUDINI 


Lucia drew the water and poured it into her 
pails, and started back with them. It had been all 
her tired arm could do to lift the empty ones, but 
now each step made sharp pains go up to her 
shoulders. She staggered along with them, fight- 
ing hard against the dizziness in her head, but 
when she was half-way down the ward everything 
began to swim before her. She swayed, lost her 
balance, and would have fallen had not a strong 
arm caught her. The pails fell to the floor, the 
water splashing over the tops. 

Through the singing in her ears she heard an 
angry voice. 

4 4 Poor youngster, whoever sent her out for 
water? Seems to me she’s earned a rest. Here, 
sister, help me, will you?” 

Then Maria’s soft voice came to her. 

4 ‘Lucia dear, don’t look like that!” she cried 
excitedly. “Here, senor, put her on the bed, so.” 

She felt herself being lifted ever so gently, and 
then the soothing comfort of a mattress and a pil- 
low stole over her and she fell sound asleep. 

She did not wake up until late in the afternoon. 


A REUNION 


139 


The sun was setting and the long ward was in deep 
shadow. She opened her eyes for a minute and 
then closed them again. She was too blissfully 
comfortable to make any effort. 

She was conscious first of all of a strange quiet. 
The guns seemed to have very nearly stopped, 
there was only a faint rumble in the distance, and 
an occasional sputter from the guns near by. 

The enemy had retreated beyond, far into the 
hills, and for the time being Cellino was safe. Lu- 
cia guessed as much and smiled to herself. 

People tiptoed about the room near her, and 
she could hear their voices indistinctly. She did 
not try to hear what they said, she was too tired 
to think. She snuggled closer in the soft pillows 
and sighed contentedly, but before long a voice 
near her separated itself from the rest, and she 
heard : 

“We will go to my beautiful Napoli, you and I, 
and I will show you the water, blue as the sky, and 
we will be very happy, and by and by you will for- 
get this terrible war, as a baby forgets a bad 
dream.’ ’ 


140 


LUCIA RUDINI 


Lucia opened one eye and moved her head so 
that she could see the speaker. He was Roderigo, 
of course, and he was holding Maria’s hand and 
talking very earnestly. 

Lucia eavesdropped shamelessly. She was 
curious to hear what her cousin would say. 

“But surely you will not fight again!” Maria’s 
voice was pleading. “You are so sick, they will 
not send you back again.” 

“But I must go back, my wound is not a bad 
one and I will be well in no time, and I must go 
back. Think how foolish it would be, if I was to 
say, ‘Oh, yes, I fought for two days in the great 
war.’ You would be ashamed of me, and that lit- 
tle cousin of yours, Lucia, she would think me a 
fine soldier.” 

Lucia laughed aloud and the voices stopped. 

Maria’s cheeks flushed and she jumped up. 

“Are you awake, dear?” she asked hurriedly, 
“then I will go and tell Sister Francesca and the 
Doctor.” 

She hurried off. Lucia sat up and looked at 


A REUNION 


141 


Roderigo. She was a sorry sight in her muddy 
clothes, and her hair fell about her shoulders. 

“You are a fine soldier, Roderigo Vicello, ,, she 
said impulsively, “and I would say so if you had 
only fought for one day, for I know how brave you 
are. But you are right to want to go back. ’ ’ 

“Yes, I am right,’ ’ Roderigo replied. He 
stretched out his hand and Lucia slipped hers 
into it. 

“We have been comrades, you and I,” he said, 
“and we understand why.” 

Lucia nodded gravely. She felt suddenly very 
proud. 

The Doctor came back a minute later with 
Maria. 

“Well, are you rested enough to be moved?” 
he asked, smiling. 

“Oh, yes I am quite all right,” Lucia assured 
him. 

“Well, I wouldn’t brag too much,” the Doctor 
laughed. “You’ll find you are pretty shaky. 
Sister Francesca has a little room fixed for you 


142 LUCIA RUDINI 

and some clean clothes; how does that sound?” 

Lucia smiled in reply, and the American came 
over at the Doctor’s call. 

* ‘ Think you can manage to carry the little lady, 
Lathrop?” he asked. 

“ Guess so.” 

Lucia felt the strong arms lift her, as if she 
weighed no more than a feather. He carried her 
down the ward and up a flight of stairs. Sister 
Francesca was waiting for them at the door of the 
little room. It had been one of the sister’s cells. 
With her help Lucia was soon in a coarse white 
nightgown and tucked in between clean sheets. 

The Doctor came in to see her a little later. 

“How is my soldier of the pennies?” she asked, 
and then as she realized he would not understand 
she added, “the one I brought up the hill.” 

‘ ‘ Oh, Captain Riccardi, he ’s still very ill, but he 
is going to pull through all right. ’ ’ 

Lucia smiled. 

“Oh, I am glad,” she said. “I was so afraid, 
he looked so queer.” 


A REUNION 


143 


“Well, don’t worry any more,” the Doctor re- 
plied, “and now what do you want?” 

Lucia sighed contentedly. 

“Something to eat, if you please,’ ’ she said 
shyly, “I am very hungry.” 


CHAPTER XHI 


AN INTERRUPTED DREAM 

A WEEK passed, a week of lazy luxury be- 
tween cool linen sheets for Lucia, and 
she enjoyed her rest to its fullest extent. 
Every one in the convent, which was now a hos- 
pital, and running smoothly with capable Ameri- 
can nurses, made a great fuss over her, and she 
had so much care that sometimes she was just the 
least bit bored. When the week was over, and she 
was feeling herself again, she grew restless and 
clamored to get up. Even the sheets, and the de- 
licious things she had to eat, could not keep her 
contented. At last the Doctor said she might go 
out for a few hours into the sunshine, and the 
whole hospital hummed with the news. 

Maria, in a white apron and cap, helped her 
dress, and went with her down the stone steps and 
out into the convent garden. 


144 


AN INTERRUPTED DREAM 


145 


The first thing that met her eye was Garibaldi, 
clean and lazy, lying contentedly in the sun. She 
came over and seemed delighted to see her mis- 
tress once more. 

“But you are so clean, my pet!” Lucia ex- 
claimed. “And your coat looks as if it had been 
brushed,” she added, wonderingly. 

Maria laughed. 

“It was. The big American, Senor Lathrop, 
makes so much fuss over her, you would think she 
was a fine horse.” 

“What about Senor Lathrop?” a laughing 
voice demanded. ‘ ‘ Oh, drat this language, I 
keep forgetting.” He stopped and then said very! 
slowly in Italian: “Good morning, how are you 
this morning?” 

“Oh, I am very well, and you,” Lucia replied, 
“you have been very good to take such care of 
Garibaldi. ’ ’ 

“Garibaldi? I don’t understand,” Lathrop 
replied. 

Lucia pointed to the goat and said slowly. 
“That is her name.” 


146 


LUCIA RUDINI 


4 ‘Name! The goat’s name Garibaldi!” Lath- 
rop exclaimed, and added in English, “Well I’ll 
be darned!” 

“Not just Garibaldi,” Lucia corrected him. 
“Her name is ‘The Illustrious and Gentile 
Senora Guiseppe Garibaldi, ’ but we call her Gari- 
baldi for short.” 

Lathrop understood enough of her reply to 
catch the name. He threw back his head and 
laughed uproariously. 

“All that for a goat! No wonder she was a 
good sport with a name like that to live up to ! ” 

He stood for a long time looking at the poor, 
shaggy animal before him, then he laughed again 
and went into the convent. 

“He is a funny man,” Lucia said wonderingly. 
“Why should he laugh because of Garibaldi’s 
name?” 

“Oh, he meant no disrespect,” Maria reasoned. 
“Americans all laugh at everything. The nurses 
are the same, they are always laughing. If any- 
thing goes wrong and I want to stamp my foot, 
they laugh. ’ ’ 


AN INTERRUPTED DREAM 147 

Lucia was somewhat mollified. ‘ 4 What is the 
news?’’ she demanded, “I have been up there in 
my little room for so long, no one would tell me 
anything. Sister Francesca would smile and say, 
4 Everything is for the best, dear child, ’ when I 
asked for news of the front, and I was ashamed 
to ask again, but you tell me . 1 9 

“Oh, there is nothing but good news,” Maria 
replied. “We are gaining everywhere. The 
night after the battle, some of our soldiers built a 
bridge over the river and crossed, and when the 
Austrians rallied for a counter-charge they were 
ready for them and took them by surprise.” 

Maria paused, and her eyes filled with tears. 
“And only think, Lucia, if you had not destroyed 
the bridge and warned the Captain of the beggar 
man, we might have been taken by surprise, and 
Cellino would be an Austrian village. Oh, I tell 
you the ward rings with your praise. The men 
talk of nothing else.” 

“Nonsense, I did not do it alone. How about 
your Roderigo? He is the one who deserves the 
praise. But tell me, how is my soldier of the 


148 


LUCIA RUDINI 


pennies? I am never sure that the Doctor tells 
me truly how he is. ’ ’ 

“Why do you call him ‘your soldier of the 
pennies’ ?” Maria asked. “His name is Captain 
Riccardi, and he is very brave. Every one knows 
about him, and some of the boys say he is the 
bravest man in the Italian army.” 

“Perhaps he is,” Lucia laughed, “but he is my 
soldier of the pennies, just the same, that’s the 
name I love him by.” 

“But I don’t understand,” Maria protested, 
“did you know him before?” 

“Yes and no,” Lucia teased. “I did not know 
his name, or what he looked like, but I knew there 
was a soldier of the pennies somewhere.” 

“But tell me,” Maria begged, “I am so curi- 
ous.” 

Lucia laughed. “Very well, it is a queer 
thing. Listen. Do you remember how for a few 
days about a week before this battle, I only brought 
two pails of milk to your stall in the morning?” 

Maria nodded. 

“Well, the rest of the milk went to Captain 


AN INTERRUPTED DREAM 


149 


Riccardi, but I did not know it. You see, one day 
Garibaldi ran away and went far up into the hills. 
I think the guns frightened her, and of course I 
went after her. I found her on a little plateau 
quite far up, and because I was tired I sat down to 
rest, keeping tight hold of her, you may be sure. 
I was dreaming and thinking, and oh, a long way 
off, when suddenly I heard a voice above me. I 
looked up; my, but I was frightened, I can tell 
you, but I could see no one. The voice said: 
* Little goat herder, will you give me a drink of 
milk?’ ” 

Lucia stopped. 

“Go on!” Maria exclaimed. “What did you 
do?” 

“Iam ashamed to say,” Lucia replied, “I was 
so frightened that I ran back down the mountain 
as if the evil spirit were after me, and I did not 
stop until I was safe at home. Then I began to 
think. Of course, at first I had thought only of an 
Austrian, but when I stopped to think, I knew 
that Austrians don’t speak such Italian — low and 
very soft this was, as my mother used to speak, 


150 


LUCIA RUDINI 


and your Roderigo. Well, then of course, I 
wanted to die of shame ; I had run away from one 
of the soldiers. I thought about it all night, and 
I could not sleep. Just before dawn I got up 
very softly and went down to the shed. I filled 
two pails half-full and carried them up to the 
same place. 

“I could not see or hear any one, but I left 
them, and that afternoon I went back to see if it 
had been taken away. There were the empty 
pails, and beside them a strip of paper with four 
pennies wrapped up inside. 

“ After that, I took the milk up every day to the 
plateau, but I never saw or heard the soldier 
again. Sometimes he would write me a little note 
and say ‘ thank you/ to me, but always there was 
the money. So that is why I called him my sol- 
dier of the pennies ; do you see ? * ’ 

“Oh, yes, how splendid !” Maria was delighted. 
“And to think it was Captain Riccardi all the time. 
No wonder now that he talks sometimes in his 
sleep of the little goat-herder and her flowered 
dress. He was an observer, Roderigo told me. 


AN INTERRUPTED DREAM 


151 


That is a very important thing to be, and he was 
hidden high up in a tree. That is why you did 
not see him.” 

Lucia thought of the telephone. 

“I know now, of course, for I saw him climb up 
it and talk over the wire to the soldiers miles 
away,” she exclaimed. “But how could I think 
to look in a tree for a soldier?” she laughed. 

A bell tinkled, and Maria sprang up. 

“I must go, it is my time to be on duty,” she 
said, smoothing her apron and settling her cap 
importantly, “I will come back when I can.” 

Lucia looked envious. “Do not be long,” she 
called after her. 

She settled back with a sigh, and the little 
goat came over to have her neck patted. Lucia 
stroked it lovingly. 

“Garibaldi,” she said aloud, “we are in a 
dream, you and I, and soon we will both wake up 
and find ourselves back in the white cottage with 
Nana scolding because we are late for supper. 
And we’ll be sorry too, won’t we? For that will 
mean that the beautiful sheets and the soft pillow 


152 


LUCIA EUDINI 


will vanish the way they do in the fairy tales, 
and this lovely garden will go too.” 

“But what if there were another one to take its 
place?” a voice inquired from the doorway. 


CHAPTER XIV 


THE FAIRY GODFATHER 

L UCIA turned and looked up quickly. She 
was startled and not a little embarrassed 
at having her confidence overheard. 
Through the door that led from the ward the 
American was pushing a bed on wheels. Lucia 
had seen that same bed many times before. It 
had belonged to the old Mother Superior of the 
convent, and many a bright morning she had seen 
it out in the garden as she sat at her desk in the 
schoolroom above. 

She looked at the white pillow half expecting to 
see the old wrinkled face of Mother Cecelia, but 
instead Captain Riccardi looked up at her and 
smiled. 

“See, I’ve found you at last,” he said, as Lath- 
rop pushed the bed beside Lucia ’s chair. “I 


153 


154 


LUCIA KUDINI 


was beginning to think that you were just a dream 
child, and that I had imagined about the milk . 9 9 

Lucia laughed gayly. 

“No, Captain, that was not a dream, or I hope 
it wasn’t, for if the milk was not real then I 
dreamed about the pennies, and the sick soldiers 
never got them.” 

“Sick soldiers! Did you give away the 
money?” 

“Oh yes, sir, how could I keep it? I did not 
know you were a Captain, I thought — ” 

“You thought I was just a poor soldier, eh?” 

“Well, yes, if you will excuse me for saying so, 
I did, but anyway I would not have kept the 
money.” 

“Why not?” 

“How can you ask? Why because, to accept 
pay for something — and such a little thing as a 
pail of milk — ” 

“Two pails.” 

“No, just one, they were only half -full, but no 
matter. I wanted to give away the milk , not sell 
it, and so I put the pennies in the box at church.” 


THE FAIRY GODFATHER 155 

“And all the time I thought you were perhaps 
buying pretty ribbons with it.” 

Captain Riccardi shook his head. “But I 
might have known better. ’ ’ 

“Ribbons!” Lucia scorned the idea. “What 
do I need with such foolishness, with a war going 
on just under my nose! I had other things to 
think about, I can tell you, and other ways to 
spend my pennies.” 

The Captain looked at her gravely. Then he 
took her hand and patted it gently. 

“You are a brave and true little Italian,” he 
said, “and I can never hope to pay you for what 
you have done. You will have to look for your re- 
ward in your own heart. It ought to be a very 
happy and contented heart, I should think.” 

Lucia’s cheeks flushed with pride. 

“Oh, it is, Captain Riccardi,” she said, “it is 
indeed, and I am quite content. If you heard 
what I said just now about the dream, you must 
not think that I don’t want to go back to the cot- 
tage — I do, and I want so much to see my Beppino 
and Nana again — only — ” 


156 


LUCIA RUDINI 


“Tell me about that ‘only’ Lucia, ” the Cap- 
tain said gently. “That is what I want to hear, 
and then perhaps I will have something to tell 
you.” 

“Oh, it is nothing but silliness,” Lucia pro- 
tested, “how can it matter?” 

“Never mind, tell me,” the Captain insisted. 

“But you will laugh. What do big men know 
of fairy stories!” 

“Lots, sometimes — I believe in fairies.” 

Lucia looked into the smiling eyes incredu- 
lously, “You, a soldier !” 

“Of course, haven’t I told you that I thought 
you were a fairy when I first saw you, and by the 
Saints, I did too. Do you know, I first discovered 
you way down in the valley. You were with your 
goats. I looked at you through my glass, and 
your pretty flowered dress, and the kerchief you 
wore over your hair, made me think of the little 
girls at home.” 

“Ah, then you come from the south, too?” 
Lucia laughed. “ I knew it. ” 

“How, do you?” the Captain demanded. 


THE FAIRY GODFATHER 


157 


Lucia shook her head sadly. 

“No, my mother came from Napoli. When I 
was a little girl she used to tell me all about the 
sunshine and the flowers, and the blue water in 
the bay, and old grandfather Vesuvius always 
frowning and puffing in the distance. Oh, I tell 
you I feel sometimes as if I had been there, 
but, of course, that is silly/ ’ she broke off, 
laughing, “for I have never been away from 
Cellino. ’ J 

“Would you like to go away to the south and 
live there V 9 Captain Riccardi asked slowly. 

“Oh, yes, of course. I dream sometimes that 
I am a princess and that a wicked fairy has 
turned me into a goat-herder and forced me to 
live here where it is so very cold sometimes, and 
then I wish hard for a good fairy to come and set 
me free, and take me on a magic carpet away to a 
garden full of flowers. There,” she smiled shyly, 
“that is what I was thinking of out loud when you 
came a minute ago.” 

The Captain did not laugh, except with his eyes. 
His voice was very grave as he asked. 


158 


LUCIA KUDINI 


“ W ouldn’t a prince or a fairy godfather do just 
as well?” 

“Oh, yes, even better,” Lucia replied seri- 
ously. 

“Well then, what would you say if I told you 
that I am a fairy godfather, and that I can spirit 
you to a garden even nicer than this, where it is 
always summer?” 

“I would surely say you were telling me fairy 
tales,” Lucia replied frankly. 

The Captain laughed delightedly. 

i 1 But I ’m not, Lucia , 9 7 he said seriously. “I’m 
telling you the. truth. Down in the south I have 
a big house set in the very heart of a beautiful 
garden, and I live there all by myself.” 

“Oh!” Lucia’s big eyes were full of genuine 
sympathy. 

“A long time ago, I used to have a little sister 
like you, but she died, and since then I have been 
ever and ever so lonely. How would you like to 
come and be my sister? I’d take awfully good 
care of you, and Garibaldi.” 

For an instant Lucia’s eyes danced with happi- 


THE FAIRY GODFATHER 159 

ness, but it was only for an instant, then her face 
fell. 

4 4 Oh, I would like that Captain, so very much,” 
she said, 4 4 but I could not leave Beppino and 
Nana.” 

Captain Riccardi looked at her in silence for a 
moment, then he said slowly, 4 4 Of course, you 
couldn’t. I forgot them for the moment. But 
of course I meant to include them in the invita- 
tion. I am very fond of Beppino already. We 
had quite a chat that day in the cave.” 

4 4 Oh, but you don’t mean it!” Lucia jumped 
up excitedly. 4 4 To live with you and Nana and 
Beppi and Garibaldi in a garden, — oh! but of 
course, it is not so, and I shall presently wake 
up.” 

4 4 Wake up in the little white cottage and milk 
the goats and trudge to town with the heavy 
pails?” The Captain said. 

Lucia nodded soberly. 

4 4 Not if I can help it, you won’t,” he added with 
decision. 4 4 You ’ll never do another stroke of 
hard work again.” 


160 


LUCIA RUDINI 


“But are there no goats in your garden to milk, 
and no work to do?” Lucia looked bewildered. 

“Yes, but there’s a lot of people to do it, — so 
many in fact, that all you will have to do is to 
pick flowers and tell Beppi and me fairy stories. 
Will you come?” 

“Oh!” Lucia stamped her foot. “If this is 
only a dream!” she exclaimed half angrily, “I 
shall surely die of misery when I wake up.” 

“It’s no dream, little sister, it’s true, and it 
won’t be long before you realize it. This leg is 
going to take a long time in healing, but as soon 
as it is better we will go home, then when I am well 
enough to go back to fight, you will stay in the 
garden and keep it looking beautiful for me until 
I return.” 

For a full moment Lucia stared into the Cap- 
tain’s eyes, while the wonderful truth dawned on 
her, then her emotion being far beyond words, 
she threw her arms around him and kissed him 
heartily. 


CHAPTER XV 


EXCITING NEWS 

t4 "W“ UCIA, Lucia, such exciting news, come 
.here at once!” Maria ran up the 
m * stairs excitedly. 

Lucia, who was busy helping Sister Francesca 
put away the clean sheets, dropped what she was 
doing and ran down the corridor. 

“What is it?” she demanded. “Have the Aus- 
trians surrendered?” 

“No,” Maria stopped, breathless from her 
haste, “that is, not yet, though Roderigo says — ” 

“Oh, oh, oh!” Lucia protested. “Don’t start 
on what Roderigo says, or we will never learn the 
news . 9 9 

Maria pouted. “For that I have a good mind 
not to tell you,” she threatened. 

“Then I shall go downstairs myself and find 
out,” Lucia replied, not one whit disturbed. 


161 


162 


LUCIA RUDINI 


‘ ‘ Then I may as well tell you, ’ 9 Maria laughed, 
“for the ward hums with it. The King is com- 
ing — think of it — he is coming to Cellino to-mor- 
row, and he is to go through the hospital and see 
all the wounded. Only fancy, our King ! ’ 9 

“Who told you?” Lucia’s eyes flashed excit- 
edly. Her loyal little Italian heart beat with 
eager anticipation. 

“Do you suppose I can see him?” she de- 
manded, “but of course, I must, even if I have to 
hide under the Captain’s bed. He is sure to 
stop and speak to my Captain,” she added with 
pride. 

“Oh, Roderigo says that he always stops and 
speaks to all the wounded and shakes their hands, 
and is very kind and so sorry always when they 
are badly hurt. Roderigo says he has talked to 
soldiers who have won decorations, and the King 
himself pins them on — just think of it!” 

Lucia gave a profound sigh. 

“If he ever spoke to me,” she said solemnly, “I 
would die of joy.” 

It was several days after Lucia and the Captain 


EXCITING NEWS 


1G3 


had talked in the garden, and Lucia was begin- 
ning to grow accustomed to the wonderful idea. 
Her dreams were coming true at last, and she had 
to admit to herself that she always believed that 
they would. Captain Riccardi was truly a fairy 
godfather in her eyes, and she proved her grati- 
tude for his kindness in a hundred little ways a 
day. It never seemed to enter her mind that all 
he was offering, wonderful as it was, could not 
pay her for her courage in saving his life. 

She insisted upon laying all the credit on his 
shoulders, and with a smile and a shrug the Cap- 
tain accepted the double share, and determined in 
his big heart to be worthy of it. 

When Lucia and Maria went down to the ward a 
little later, the patients were indeed humming 
with the news. Every face wore a smile of keen 
joy, and the nurses hurried about to be sure 
everything was in perfect order. 

Lucia was well enough now to go wherever she 
pleased, and after she had talked for a few min- 
utes with Captain Riccardi, and made sure that 
Maria had not exaggerated, she went out of the 


164 


LUCIA RUDINI 


convent with the intention of going into town. 
Some of the refugees had returned, but so far 
there had been no news of Sehora Rudini, Nana, 
or Beppi, and she was growing anxious. 

As she walked down the broad steps, she saw 
Lathrop coming towards her. Lucia was par- 
ticularly fond of the big American, and she 
smiled as she saw him. 

“Hello!” he greeted. 

Lucia returned the salutation. 

“Do you know that the King is coming?” she 
demanded. 

Lathrop understood the word King, and as the 
town was talking of nothing else he guessed what 
she meant. 

“Yes,” he replied in Italian, “nice — glad 
— you.” 

Lucia laughed. 

“Oh, but you are so funny. How I wish you 
could speak so that I could understand you ! ’ 1 she 
said. 

Lathrop shook his head. “There she goes 
again, I didn’t get even one word this time.” 


EXCITING NEWS 165 

He put his hand in his pocket and drew out a 
letter. 

“See,” he said, pointing to it. 

Lucia nodded. Lathrop scratched his head. 

“You — in — letter,” he said painstakingly, 

■ < Girl, American. ’ 9 

“Oh, you have put me in your letter? How 
nice!” Lucia said. “What did you say?” 

“I get you, but I’m blest if I can tell you, and 
it’s a shame, too. You’re such a little winner, 
you and your Mrs. Garibaldi, that I’d like to be 
able to tell you so. But I guess it’s hopeless. 

All of which Lucia listened to politely, but with- 
out the first idea of its meaning. 

She nodded towards the gate and they walked 
towards it together. Lathrop mailed his letter, 
and they stopped to look at the ruins. Lucia 
questioned some soldiers who were clearing the 
streets as best they could. 

The town hall, at the end of the market-place, 
was still standing, and to-day it was draped in 
Italian flags. It looked older and more dignified 
than ever, amid the ruins, and the flag floated 


166 LUCIA BUDINI 

bravely in the crisp fall breeze. Lucia and Lath- 
rop stopped to look at it. Lucia’s eyes sparkled 
and she threw an impulsive kiss towards it. 
Lathrop saluted respectfully. 

As they turned to go back they noticed a crowd 
of soldiers and some of the townspeople gathered 
about the gate. 

6 ‘ What can the matter be?” Lucia exclaimed, 
iurrying forward. 4 ‘Perhaps it is the King.” 

They ran to the gate and questioned some of the 
soldiers. 

“More refugees returning,” one of them ex- 
plained. “See there’s a whole line of them, it is 
a, good sight, and a good time that they have 
chosen. Now we will not look so like a deserted 
place when the King comes.” 

‘ ‘ Oh, perhaps some of them can give me news of 
Beppino,” Lucia exclaimed, forcing her way 
through the crowd. 

Almost the first person she saw as she ran down 
the road was Maria’s mother. She was walking 
along beside several other women, and with a start 
Lucia realized that she looked thin and wan. 


EXCITING NEWS 167 

“Aunt Rudini!” she called excitedly, “you are 
back at last. Oh, Maria will be so glad ! ’ 9 

Senora Rudini looked up, fear and hope in her 
eyes. 

“Maria !” she exclaimed, “where is she?” 

“At the convent. She is helping to nurse the 
soldiers / 1 Lucia replied. 

“Oh, and I thought she was dead or a prisoner. 
She lay down beside me one night, and the next 
morning she was gone; I have been terrified.” 
The old woman was wringing her hands. 

“But she is safe, go and see,” Lucia protested, 
“I have just left her.” 

Maria’s mother needed no urging, she ran as 
fast as her stiff joints would allow towards the 
hospital. But she had not gone very far when 
she returned. 

“I am a selfish old woman,” she said, “think- 
ing first of myself, when of course you want news 
of Nana. Well, look yonder in that farm wagon. ” 

Lucia did not wait to hear more. She darted 
off and met the wagon before it reached the turn 
in the road. 


168 


LUCIA RUDXNI 


‘ ‘ Beppi ! Nana ! ’ ’ she called. 

The man who was driving stopped, and Nana 
slid down from the straw, right into Lucia’s wait- 
ing arms. She was so glad to see her, that she 
could only babble foolishly. All during her long 
journey, and her stay in strange villages, she had 
thought of nothing but Lucia in the hands of the 
enemy, and she was nearly crazy with relief and 
joy to find her safe again. 

At last Lucia quieted her. ‘ ‘ Where is Bep- 
pino?” she asked, “ surely he is with you?” 

Something in the straw of the wagon moved, 
and the old driver pointed his whip at a mop of 
black hair, and laughed. 

Beppi was asleep of course. Lucia’s strong 
young arms lifted his little body out, and hugged 
and kissed him. Beppi woke up, and at sight of 
her he shouted with joy, 

It was a happy and excited family that walked 
through the town and down to the little white cot- 
tage. 

Lucia had so much to say, and Nana would not 
listen nor believe all the wonderful things she 


EXCITING NEWS 


169 


tried to tell her, but at last, from lack of breath, 
she stopped exclaiming and crying, and Lucia 
pushed her gently onto the green bed, took Beppi 
on her lap, and began the recital of her wonderful 
news in earnest. 


CHAPTER XVI 


THE KING 


T 


|HE KING! The King!” 

‘ 4 Viva! Viva!” A great cry rose 
within the walls of Cellino, and swelled 


to a mighty cheer, as a gray automobile drove 
slowly through the Porto Romano, and stopped in 
the market-place opposite the town hall. 

The soldiers who had so bravely defended the 
town were lined up ready for inspection, and as 
the King lifted his hand to salute the colors, a 
silence, as profound and as moving as the cheer 
had been, fell over the crowd. 

Lucia, with Beppi held tightly by the hand, was 
on the edge of the crowd. She trembled with ex- 
citement as she looked at the greatest, and best- 
loved man in all Italy. 

“See !” she whispered excitedly to Beppi, “that 
is the King — our King! Look at him well, for we 


170 


THE KING 171 

may never be lucky enough to see him again in our 
whole lives.” 

Beppi ’s big eyes were round with wonder. He 
looked. His gaze fastened on the shining sword. 
Then the memory that he might some day be a 
General returned to him, and he drew himself up 
very straight. As the King passed on his inspec- 
tion, his little hand went up in a smart salute. 

His Majesty stopped, smiled, and returned the 
salute gravely. 

Beppi waited until he had walked on, then he 
buried his face in Lucia’s skirts, and wept from 
sheer joy. 

Lucia’s pride knew no bounds. Her heart was 
beating wildly, but she stood very still until the 
King went into the town hall, then she picked 
Beppi up in her arms and ran excitedly across the 
town and out to the convent. 

“We can see him again, darling, so stand very 
still,” she said. “He is coming to see the sol- 
diers.” 

They watched the gate eagerly, and before long 
the gray car came through it very slowly. A 


172 


LUCIA RUDINI 


crowd of people surrounded it, cheering and 
throwing flowers. The King smiled and bowed to 
them all. Lucia’s eyes never left his face. Sud- 
denly she saw him lean forward excitedly as the 
big car stopped. Beppi tugged at her skirts. 

4 1 Look at Garibaldi, she is blocking the way.” 

Lucia looked, and to her horror she saw her pet 
standing in the middle of the road, her four hoofs 
planted firmly in the mud, and her head lowered. 

“Oh, the wretch,” Lucia exclaimed, darting for- 
ward. “Come here at once!” she called. 

Garibaldi looked around and obediently trotted 
off. The car started, and the King waved es- 
pecially to Lucia as he passed, but even so great 
an honor could not compensate her. She was 
mortified to tears that her goat should have been 
guilty of lese majeste. 

No entreaties on Beppi ’s part could make her 
stay to wait for the King’s return. She left him 
with a soldier, and went around the corner of the 
convent, followed by the disgraced Garibaldi. 

She sat down on a bench and sighed. 

“Of course you’re only a goat,” she said scorn- 


THE KING 


173 


fully, “but I did think you had more sense than to 
do anything as terrible as that. Do you know 
who that was that you made to stop? That was 
the King, do you hear?” 

Garibaldi walked away indifferently. 

“Oh, I am disgusted with you forever,” Lucia 
exclaimed with a shrug of disdain. “You will 
stay here until he goes away again, and then I 
shall take you home and tie you up.” 

Garibaldi paid no attention to the threat. Per- 
haps she knew how empty it would prove to be. 

“Lucia, Lucia, my child, where are you?” 
Sister Francesca’s voice trembled as she called. 

“Here I am, sister,” Lucia jumped up. “Do 
you want me ? ’ 9 

“Oh, my dear, I have looked everywhere for 
you. Come with me at once.” 

Lucia followed, wondering at the expression in 
the nun’s usually placid face. But Sister Fran- 
cesca did not stop to give any explanations. She 
led the way hurriedly back to the front door, of the 
convent, and up the steps through the ward of 
smiling men, and only stopped when she reached 


174 LUCIA RUDINI 

the door of Captain Riccardi’s private room. 

“Go in, my dear,” she said, giving Lucia a little 
push. “The Captain wants to speak to you.” 

Lucia opened the door and found herself face 
to face with the King. 

She was too astonished, and far too thrilled to 
speak. She must have shown some of her feeling 
in her eyes, for the Captain, who was in bed, 
laughed. 

“Here she is, Your Majesty,” he said. 

The King stepped forward and put his hand on 
her shoulder. 

“So you are the brave little girl whom I must 
thank for saving Captain Riccardi’s life, and for 
blowing up the bridge?” 

Lucia was still tongue-tied. She swallowed 
hard and tried to stop her heart from beating 
so fast.* 

“Yes, yes, sir — Your Majesty,” she said at last. 
“I and Garibaldi.” 

“Garibaldi?” The King could not restrain a 
smile. 


THE KING 


175 


“The goat, sir,” the Captain explained. 

“Oh, I see, and what did you say his name 
was?” 

“Garibaldi’s a her, Your Majesty, and so she 
had to be Senora Garibaldi.” 

Lucia was fast forgetting her embarrassment. 

“ ‘The Illustrious and Gentile Senora Guiseppi 
Garibaldi,’ that’s her real name, but of course, it’s 
too long for every day.” 

“Yes, I should suppose so, particularly if you 
were in a hurry,” the King laughed softly. 

“Was that Senora Garibaldi that we came 
nearly running over?” he asked. 

“Oh yes, it was, but please, Your Majesty, 
don’t be angry with her. You see, she really 
didn’t know you were the King.” 

“Angry, why I should say not. Before I leave, 
you must introduce me to her, I couldn’t leave 
without seeing such a really important person.” 

Lucia clapped her hands delightedly. 

“Oh, she will be so proud!” she exclaimed. 

The King turned to the officer who stood beside 


176 


LUCIA RUDINI 


him and nodded, then he shook Captain Riccardi ’s 
hand. “I congratulate you on the addition to 
your household/ ’ he said, smiling. ‘ ‘ Come with 
me, Lucia/ ’ he continued, ‘ ‘I have something for 
you, and I want to give it to you where all the sol- 
diers can see.” 

Lucia followed in a dream. She stood very 
still at the end of the ward, and watched the men 
salute as the King stood before them. 

She did not hear what he said to them, for her 
head was swimming, but she saw him turn to her, 
and her heart missed a beat as he pinned a medal 
on her faded bodice. 

“In appreciation of your courage and loyalty,” 
the King said, and Lucia’s eyes looked into his 
for a brief, but never-to-be-forgotten moment. 


CHAPTER XVII 


GOOD-BY TO CELLINO 

I T was over a month before Captain Riccardi 
was well enough to be moved, but at last the 
beautiful day for the departure for the south 
came. 

“Do you really mean we are going?” Beppi de- 
manded. 

“Of course we are, darling,” Lucia replied, 
laughing. She was so excited that she could 
hardly wait to dress Beppi and Nana with the pa- 
tience that such an undertaking required. Nana 
had a new dress, Aunt Rudini made it with 
Maria’s help, and though it was too somber for 
Lucia’s color loving eyes, it was a new dress and 
she fastened it on Nana’s bent shoulders with a 
glow of pride. 

“There now!” she exclaimed when it was on 
and Nana ’s stringy gray hair had been reduced to 
some sort of order. 


177 


178 


LUCIA RUDINI 


i 6 Turn around and let me see you.” 

Nana turned. She was in a flutter of excite- 
ment, although she would not have admitted it for 
the world. 

‘ 4 Don’t waste any more time over an old wo- 
man,” she said, sharply, “I am tidy and that is 
enough. ' ' 

“You are more than tidy, Nana, you look beau- 
tiful,” Lucia exclaimed. “Now do sit still and 
don't do anything.” 

“There's nothing to be done that has not al- 
ready been done,” Nana replied as she sat on 
the edge of the green bed and folded her hands 
on her lap. Lucia nodded in satisfaction and 
turned her attention to Beppi. 

He had a new suit too, and the broad sailor col- 
lar on it was embroidered with emblems and stars. 

Beppi was delighted, and Lucia helped him on 
with it as he danced and hopped, first on one foot 
and then to the other. 

“I'm a sailor,” he announced, “a real sailor! 
See the bands on my arm. ' ' 

“Fickle one,” Lucia protested as she tied the 


GOOD-BY TO CELLINO 179 

flaring red tie, with loving fingers, “I thought you 
were going to be a soldier like our Captain.” 

Beppi thrust his small hands in his trouser 
pockets. 

“I am when I grow up,” he replied seriously, 
“but I can be a sailor in the meantime, can’t I?” 

“Yes, of course,” Lucia agreed, and now put 
on your shoes, dear, it must be late, and it would 
never do to keep the Captain waiting.” 

“Go and dress yourself then,” Nana said, “and 
don ’t make yourself look too gay, it is not 
seemly.” 

Lucia tossed her head and laughed. 

“Ah, but I will, my new bodice is so beautiful; 
all bright flowers, and my skirt is blue — I know 
the Captain will like it — and we are going to the 
South where all the girls wear bright colors — I 
expect my dress will look very somber.” 

Nana did not reply, she grumbled a little to her- 
self, and Lucia pulled out the drawer of the 
dresser and very carefully took out her new pos- 
sessions. She put them on slowly as if to prolong 
the pleasure. 


180 


LUCIA RUDINI 


When she was ready she looked at as much of 
herself as she could see in the small mirror, and 
smiled happily. 

“I look very nice, I think/ ’ she said frankly. 

“Then we are ready,” Nana exclaimed, getting 
up, “we had better start up the hill.” 

“Yes, do let’s go,” Beppi insisted, “I know w T e 
are going to be late. ’ ’ 

“Oh, but we have plenty of time,” Lucia re- 
plied. “Go along both of you, I will follow with 
Garibaldi.” 

“Such foolishness,” Nana grumbled, “to take 
a goat in a train; there are many goats in the 
South. Why don’t you wait until you get there 
and leave Garibaldi to Maria with the rest ? ’ ’ 

Lucia looked at her grandmother in consterna- 
tion, but she did not stop to argue with her. She 
left the house and went to the shed ; repaired now 
enough to make a shelter to keep out the rain. 

Garibaldi was firmly tied to one of the posts. 

“Come, my pet,” Lucia whispered, “we are go- 
ing away and I have a ribbon for your neck, see?” 

“Now come,” she coaxed, “we must go up to 


GOOD-BY TO CELLINO 


181 


the convent, that nice American Mr. Lathrop is 
going to pnt you in a box. You won’t like it, 
poor dear, but it’s the only way they let goats 
travel.” 

Garibaldi seemed to understand something of 
the importance of the occasion, for she walked 
along beside her little mistress with lowered head. 

Lucia waited until Nana and Beppi had disap- 
peared through the gate before she started. She 
knew there was plenty of time and she wanted to 
be alone. 

She stood in the doorway of the cottage and 
looked at the poor, tumbled little room. She felt 
suddenly very forlorn and lonely. 

“Good-by, little room,” she said softly, “I 
will never, never forget you. It isn’t as if you 
were going very far away from me for we have 
given you to Maria, she and Koderigo will take 
good care of you, and some day perhaps I will 
come back for a tiny visit,” she said. 

A plaintive “Naa” from Garibaldi made her 
turn. As she left the room her eyes lingered on 
the green bed. 


182 


LUCIA RUDINI 


Captain Riccardi was sitting up, fully dressed, 
and waiting for them in the garden of the con- 
vent. 

At sight of Lucia his eyes danced with fun. 

“Well, little sister of mine, how are you?” he 
greeted. 

“Oh, I am so excited, Senor,” Lucia replied, 
“Is it nearly time to go?” 

“No, not for a couple of hours,” the Captain 
laughed. 

“Are we really going in an automobile?” 
Beppi demanded, “like the one the King came 
in?” 

“Yes, just like that, and then we go in a train 
for a long time,” the Captain explained. 

“Do we sleep in the train?” Beppi ’s eyes were 
as round as saucers. 

“No,” the Captain shook his head, “we sleep in 
a lovely house that belongs to a friend of mine 
in Rome. ’ ’ 

Beppi tried to be polite but Captain Riccardi 
saw the disappointment in his eyes, and patted 
his small head. 


GOOD-BY TO CELLINO 


183 


“Are you sorry ?” he laughed. 

“Oh, no, he is not,” Lucia contradicted hastily, 
“he will like sleeping in Rome, won’t you, my 
pet?” 

Beppi hung his head. “I will like it,” he ad- 
mitted, “but it will not be as exciting as sleep- 
ing on a train. ’ ’ 

“No, of course it won’t, but it will be lots more 
comfortable, and you see I have to think of that,” 
the Captain explained, “but I promise you some 
day we will sleep in a train, and on a boat, or any 
old place you like, how’s that?” 

“I will tell you afterwards,” Beppi replied non- 
committally. 

“I must go and find Maria,” Lucia said, “I 
have not told her half the things I want to. She 
won’t take proper care of my goats, I know, but 
no matter, I will do my best to tell her what to 
do.” 

She went into the convent. Maria was busy in 
the ward, but at Lucia’s beckon she left what she 
was doing and went to her. 

“Come over by Roderigo’s bed,” Lucia said, 


184 LUCIA EUDINI 

“we have only a little time to talk before we 
leave. ’ ’ 

4 4 Oh, but you must be excited !” Maria ex- 
claimed. 

4 4 Look at her eyes,” Eoderigo laughed, 4 4 of 
course she is.” 

4 4 Well, and why not,” Lucia demanded, 
4 4 wouldn’t you be?” Eoderigo shivered. 

4 4 If I were going this day, back to Napoli, I 
would die from joy,” he said. 

4 4 Nonsense, that’s what Lucia said about the 
King’s speaking to her,” Maria reminded, 4 4 but 
she’s still alive, and the King not only spoke to 
her but kissed her too.” 

4 4 Do you know,” Lucia said quietly, 4 4 some- 
times I think perhaps I am dead and this is 
Heaven. ’ ’ 

4 4 Heaven!” Eoderigo laughed, 4 4 never, it is 
much too cold, see the sick yellow sun up there.” 
He pointed to the window, 4 4 in Heaven the sun 
is hot and the sky is blue, just as you will find it 
to-morrow. Oh, but I envy you. What wouldn ’t I 
give — ” He hesitated and looked at Maria, 4 4 No, 


GOOD-BY TO CELLINO 


185 


I would not go if I could; I am happy here.” 

Maria ’s smile rewarded him. 

“But surely after the war,” Lucia said, “you 
will both come to Napoli to live.” 

“Perhaps,” Roderigo assented, “after the 
war . 1 9 

They were silent for a moment, aware for the 
first time of what the coming separation would 
mean. Then Roderigo exclaimed gayly, 

“But how solemn we are! We must laugh. I 
tell you, Lucia, when you see my old grandfather 
Vesuvius you must give him my best respects, for 
mind if you are not respectful to him he may do 
you some harm . 9 9 

“Oh, I will be very careful,” Lucia laughed, 
“but I will never call that cross old, smoking 
mountain my grandfather, I can promise you 
that.” 

“ Haven 9 t you some friends that Lucia could 
see ? 9 9 Maria inquired, 4 4 or could she perhaps take 
a message to your family.” 

“No.” Roderigo shook his head, “she will not 
be near them, but perhaps — ” He turned to 


186 


LUCIA RUDINI 


Lucia, “if you are ever walking along the shore 
below Captain Biccardi’s place, you may meet a 
soldier, an old man with a scar on his face; if you 
do, he is my uncle Enrico.” 

“But what does he do on the beach ?” Maria 
inquired. 

“Oh, he watches to see that no one rows out to 
the boats in the bay without a passport, there 
are plenty of men who would like to leave without 
permission,’ ’ Roderigo explained, “My uncle is 
there to keep them safe in Italy.” 

“Are they Austrians?” Lucia inquired. 

Roderigo winked. 

“They are Italian citizens on the face of 
things,” he replied, “but in their hearts — ” An 
expressive gesture finished the sentence. 

Just as Maria was about to ask another ques- 
tion Beppi ran into the ward. 

“Lucia, Lucia, come quickly, the American is 
packing Garibaldi up in a box, and you are miss- 
ing all the fun.” 

Lucia jumped up. 


GOOD-BY TO CELLINO 187 

“Oh I must go and help,” she exclaimed, “I 
will see you again for good-by/ ’ 

She followed Beppi to the garden and found 
Lathrop nailing on the top to a big wooden crate. 
From between the slats Garibaldi looked out re- 
proachfully. 

Lucia petted and consoled her until it was time 
to go. 

Garibaldi left first in a wagon; she was going 
all the way by train. Lucia had many misgivings 
but she watched the wagon out of sight with a 
smile. 

Her thoughts were soon diverted by the arrival 
of a big automobile. Captain Kiccardi was 
helped in by the doctor and Lathrop, and after 
repeated good-bys Lucia took her place beside him. 

The car started off slowly, they were going to 
take the train at a point several miles south. 

Lucia watched the walls of Cellino grow dim 
against their background of bare mountains. It 
was her first departure, and it marked a new 
period in her life. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


H 


IN THE GARDEN 

( i *w* *W OW does my little sister like her new 
home?” 

Captain Riccardi was sitting in a 
comfortable chair in the warmth and sunshine of 
his garden. He looked very much stronger than 
on his departure from Cellino. A month under 
the southern sky had done much to make him well 
again, and as he sat looking at Lucia he was turn- 
ing over in his mind the possibility of returning to 
the front. Lucia was picking flowers near him, 
she had a basket over her arm and a big pair of 
scissors. 

Her cheeks, that had been so pale, were flushed 
and round, and an expression of happy content- 
ment took the place of the excited sparkle in her 
eyes. 


188 


IN THE GARDEN 


189 


She dropped down on the ground beside the 
Captain as he spoke, and looked up at him. 

“That is the very first time you have asked me 
that,” she said, “and we have been here for a long 
time. You know I think it is very, very wonder- 
ful, what could be more beautiful than this gar- 
den, but I am getting lazy, the sun is so warm 
and there is so little to do.” She looked puzzled. 

“That’s quite as it should be,” the Captain re- 
plied, “you are too young to work.” 

“Oh, that is what you always say,” Lucia pro- 
tested, “I am too young and Nana is too old, and 
Beppi — ” 

“Beppi is too lazy,” the Captain laughed, “he 
is always asleep under the flower bushes, but 
tell me,” he continued gravely, “are you ever 
homesick?” 

“Homesick.” Lucia considered for a moment, 
“For Maria, yes, but for Cellino, no. I like to 
think of it, but I want always to live here.” 

“Good,” the Captain smiled, “then you won’t 
mind my going away?” 

‘ 1 Back to fight ? ’ 9 Lucia inquired. 


190 


LUCIA RUDINI 


The Captain nodded. “My wound is healed 
and I am well enough ; they need all the men they 
can get up there, you know . 9 9 

“I know,” Lucia looked very unhappy, “what 
terrible times there have been since we came 
here; everything has gone wrong. Why I won- 
der, our soldiers are as brave as ever. What has 
made us lose so much lately?” 

A baffled look stole over the Captain’s face and 
he shook his head sorrowfully. 

“No one knows, my dear,” he said, “we have 
suffered terrible losses, every plan that we make 
is known to the enemy . 9 9 

“Do you remember the beggar you saw on the 
road the day you followed the two Austrian sol- 
diers?” 

Lucia nodded. 

“Well, there are many men like that in Italy, 
some are disguised as beggars and some as just 
working men, but they are everywhere, and 
through them our plans are given to the enemy.” 

“But surely the police could arrest them,” 


IN THE GARDEN 191 

Lucia protested, “they must all be Austrians or 
Germans/’ 

“They are, of course, hut they have lived here 
among us for so long that it is hard to tell them 
from ourselves; they speak, act and look as we 
do.” 

“But they think as our enemies,” Lucia added, 
“I understand. What very bad men they must 
be, just to think that but for them we might have 
won this horrible war by now. ’ ’ 

“Perhaps,” the Captain agreed, “but if they 
are here and we can ’t find them out then we must 
win the war in spite of them, and that is why I 
am going back. ’ ’ 

“When?” Lucia asked. She was suddenly 
very unhappy for the memory of the attack was 
still vivid, and she dreaded to think of her newly 
found godfather’s returning to the dangers and 
hardships of the front, but she was too brave and 
too wise to say so. She kept a stiff upper lip and 
her eyes were dry as they discussed the plans. 

“I think I will leave in a day or two now that 


192 


LUCIA RUDINI 


my mind is made up,” the Captain said, “it will 
take me quite awhile to return to my Company, 
and I may have to wait in Rome for orders, so 
the sooner I am off the better.” 

“Yes, I suppose so,” Lucia replied slowly. 
“Oh, but how we will miss you, I cannot bear to 
think,” she added impulsively. 

“Then you must write to me often,” the Cap- 
tain laughed, “I get so few letters and I will 
treasure them. I will want to know just how you 
and Beppi and Nana spend each day, and what 
tricks Garibaldi is up to.” 

“I shall tell you everything,” Lucia promised, 
eagerly , 4 4 every tiny little thing, and you will write 
back?” 

4 4 Yes, as often as I can,” the Captain prom- 
ised. He got up from his chair and started to 
walk toward the house. When he was halfway up 
the path Beppi dashed through the garden gate 
and ran to him. 

4 4 Oh, but I have had a fine morning,” he de- 
clared, 4 4 you will never guess where I have been.” 

4 4 You do look excited,” the Captain smiled, 4 4 it 


IN THE GARDEN 


193 


must have been a very nice place, tell us about it.” 

“Then come back and sit down,” Beppi in- 
sisted, taking his hand. The Captain returned to 
his chair and Beppi perched on the arm of it. 

“Now begin,” Lucia said, “we are listening.” 

“Well,” Beppi took a long breath. “This 
afternoon I was tired of playing in the garden and 
I went out into the road. Nana was sound asleep 
and did not hear me, and when I had walked a 
little ways I met two boys ; one of them was big- 
ger than me and the other one was littler. We 
said hello, and one of them asked me my name, 
and I told him, and then the big one said he 
guessed I couldn’t fight — ” Beppi stopped and 
turned two accusing eyes at Lucia, “that was be- 
cause I had on these old stockings. I told you, 
sister, that I’d be laughed at unless I went bare- 
foot, same as always.” 

“Never mind about that,” the Captain inter- 
posed, laughing, “tell us the rest.” 

“Well, I told him I could, and we did, of course, 
and I won,” he continued proudly, “and after 
that we were friends, and they asked me if 


194 


LUCIA RUDINI 


I’d ever been to the shore, and I said; not right to 
it, so they took me. We went down a hill and 
pretty soon we were right by the ocean, and the 
waves were coming in all frothy white on the blue 
water, and I took off my shoes and stockings — ” 

“Oh, Beppi,” Lucia protested. 

“Yes, I did,” Beppi repeated, “I certainly did 
and we had a fine time, I can tell you, and here 
comes the exciting part. While we were on the 
beach a soldier came along; he was walking on 
the wall and he had a big gun. The two boys ran 
to him and I went with them. He asked me my 
name and where I lived, and I told him, and he 
said he had a nephew in the war, and one of the 
boys asked him how Roderigo Vicello was, and 
when I heard that name I just shouted. ‘Why I 
know him,’ and then I told them all about the 
bridge and the King giving Roderigo a medal, and 
everything. They were all glad, I can tell you, 
and I guess these boys won’t say I can’t fight 
again in a hurry,” he added triumphantly. 

“Oh, that is exciting news!” Lucia exclaimed, 


IN THE GARDEN 195 

“Roderigo told me he had an uncle here. Did he 
have a big scar on his face, Beppino?” 

“Yes,” Beppi replied eagerly, “he got it in the 
Tripoli war. He is a very brave man, I think, but 
he says he’d rather fight than guard the shore, but 
of course he has to do as he’s told, because he’s 
a soldier.” 

“And I suppose that means you don’t have to 
do what you’re told until you’re one,” the Cap- 
tain laughed, “what will Nana say when she hears 
you ran away?” 

“Who’s going to tell her?” Beppi inquired, 
“Lucia won’t, and I don’t think you will,” he 
added with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. 

“No, I suppose I won’t after that,” the Cap- 
tain replied, laughing, “that is if you will promise 
to be very good and mind Lucia while I am 
away. ’ ’ 

“Away?” Beppi queried, “where are you go- 
ing?” 

“Back to fight,” the Captain replied, “and per- 
haps I shall be gone for a long, long time, and of 


196 


LUCIA RUDINI 


course, while I am gone I shall expect you to take 
care of your sister.’ ’ 

“Oh, Lucia can take care of herself,” Beppi 
laughed, “she always has, and of Nana and me, 
too, but I’ll be good if you say so, only can’t I go 
down to the shore once in a while?” 

“Of course, darling,” Lucia answered for the 
Captain, “but you must tell Nana where you are 
going.” 

“No, I will tell you I think,” Beppi said 
gravely. 

The Captain got up and he walked beside him 
to the house. There was a chance that the bright 
sword might be taken from its chamois case, and 
Beppi never missed a chance of seeing it if he 
could help it. 

Lucia, left alone in the garden, looked out over 
the low wall to the west. The bay of Naples 
stretched out blue and glistening in the last rays 
of the sun, and the gray of the old house took on 
a soft pink tint. 

“It is a fairy palace, I believe.” Lucia buried 


IN THE GARDEN 197 

her face in her basket and whispered to the 
flowers. 

“I wonder if it will disappear when my fairy 
godfather goes away, or if it will stay and be ours 
to keep for him until he comes back, for he must 
come back, he must, he must, he must,” she fin- 
ished almost angrily. 


CHAPTER XIX 


BACK TO FIGHT 

A BIG gray car, very like the one that had 
come to Cellino, drove up before the door 
of the Riccardi villa two days later. 

The Captain, once his mind was made up, did 
did not waste any time in carrying out his plans. 
He was eager to rejoin his comrades in the north, 
but when the time came to leave he was very 
sorry to say good-by to Lucia. She had found 
a warm and secure spot in his big heart, and he 
knew he would miss her gay chatter and the 
laughing expression of her eyes. 

All the household were on the steps to say 
good-by, even Nana had been prevailed upon to 
leave her seat in the garden by the well, and her 
lace bobbins, long enough to see him off. 

Beppi danced about excitedly. 6 6 Oh, please 
hurry up and end the old war,” he cried impa- 
tiently, “and come back, we will be so lonely with- 


198 


BACK TO FIGHT 


199 


out you. I promise to be very, very good.” 

‘ ‘ That’s right, and when I come home I shall 
bring you all the souvenirs I promised; an Aus- 
trian helmet and a piece of shell,” the Captain re- 
plied. 

“And your sword, don’t forget that,” Beppi 
reminded him. 

“Oh no, of course I won’t forget that,” the 
Captain swung Beppi high in the air above his 
head and kissed him, then he turned to Lucia. 

“I will be good too,” she promised, laughing. 

“Of course you will, but you must be happy 
too, that is the most important of all,” the Captain 
said seriously. “Be sure and pick all the flowers 
in the garden and stay out in the sunshine all 
day.” 

“And may I take the flowers to the hospital?” 
Lucia asked, “we have so many in the house, and 
the sick soldiers would love them so.” 

“Yes, do what you like with them,” the Cap- 
tain replied, “but be careful, don’t do anything 
dangerous, you are such a spunky little fire-brand, 
that I can’t help worrying.” 


200 


LUCIA RUDINI 


“Oh, but you mustn't, I will be so very careful. 
Besides there is nothing to do down here, it is not 
like Cellino." 

“Well, you can't always be sure," the Captain 
said, his eyes twinkling, “if there was any danger 
you’d be sure to be in the heart of it." 

“No, I will close my eyes tight," Lucia prom- 
ised, “and walk in the other direction, that is, 
unless it was something very, very important." 

‘ ‘ I thought so. W ell, I guess you '11 be safe here, 
safer than you've ever been before, anyway," the 
Captain said, “and now good-by." 

He kissed her low, broad forehead, very gently. 

“Good-by, fairy godfather, come back soon." 
Lucia tried not to let her voice tremble. 

The Captain got into the car hurriedly. He 
waved to the group on the steps until he was out 
of sight. 

Lucia went back into the house, but the spacious 
rooms and high ceilings only added to her un- 
happiness. She almost longed for the comfort of 
the tiny old cottage and the familiar sight of the 
green bed. 


BACK TO FIGHT 


201 


She wandered about listlessly; she was quite 
alone. Nana had gone back to her lace making, 
and Beppi was in the garden. The old man and 
his wife — the Captain’s faithful servants — were 
in the kitchen. 

In the library Lucia stopped before the rows of 
books and tried to read their titles. But she gave 
it up and looked at the pictures, that amused her 
for a little while, for she thought they were beau- 
tiful, but she did not understand them. She could 
not give anything her undivided attention for her 
thoughts were on the way with the Captain, and 
she was fighting against the unhappiness that 
threatened to overpower her. 

“ Surely he will come back,” she said, to a copy 
of Andrea del Sarto’s St. John that hung above 
the mantel. “This cruel war has taken my real 
father; it cannot take my godfather too.” She 
gave herself a little shake, “It is that I am lonely 
that I think such sad thoughts, I will go out to the 
garden and pick flowers for the soldiers.” 

Accordingly she found her basket and scissors 
and spent the rest of the afternoon in the garden. 


202 


LUCIA RUDINI 


When her basket was piled high she put on her 
hat very carefully, regarding it from every angle 
of the Florentin mirror. It was the first hat 
she had ever owned and she was very proud of 
it. 

When it was tilted to her satisfaction she took 
up the basket and went out by the garden gate. 

The hospital was a little over a mile away. 
Lucia had visited it with Captain Riccardi. It 
had formerly been a private villa and its terraced 
gardens went down to the water ’s edge. 

Lucia knew the way and she loitered along, en- 
joying the newness of the scenes about her. 
Everything and everybody were so different, the 
fishermen with their bright sashes and Roman 
striped stocking caps, the old women and the 
young girls in their bright dresses, with great gold 
loops hanging from their ears. Even the sound 
of their voices was different as they called out 
greetings to one another. 

Lucia decided that the very first thing she would 
do when the Captain came home would be to ask 
him for a pair of gold earrings. 


BACK TO FIGHT 


203 


So occupied was slie with her thoughts that she 
reached the gate to the hospital before she realized 
it. She lifted the heavy knocker; an old man 
opened the door. 

‘ 4 This is not visiting day, little one,” he said, as 
he looked down at Lucia. 

“Oh, I am not visiting,” she replied, “I brought 
these few flowers for the sick soldiers; will you 
take them?” 

“Indeed I will.” The old man held out his 
hand. i ‘ Do you want the basket back again ? ’ ’ 

“Oh, no, there’s no hurry for that, I will get it 
the next time I come,” Lucia replied. “I mean to 
bring flowers every day or two for the soldiers.” 

“That is very kind of you,” the old man smiled, 
“I’ll take these right up.” 

Lucia nodded and turned to go back along the 
road. The sun was setting over the water, and 
below the bay beckoned invitingly. She looked 
and decided to go home that way. 

She took a path that led to the water ’s edge. It 
was steep, for that part of the coast rose high 
above the water. She was tired when she reached 


204 LUCIA RUDINI 

the bottom and sat down to rest on the low stone 
wall. 

The soft lapping of the water made her drowsy, 
and she slipped to the sand, leaned her head 
against the wall and closed her eyes. 

There was not a sound but the soothing voice of 
nature, the ripple of the water, the sighing of the 
wind and the occasional cry of a sea bird. 

All the sounds together seemed to rock Lucia 
in a sort of lullaby, and it was not many minutes 
before she was asleep. 

When she awoke it was quite dark and she was 
conscious of a difference in the voice of the water. 
A heavy regular splash, splash, grew nearer and 
nearer as she listened. If she had been accus- 
tomed to living near the water she would have 
recognized it as the rhythmic stroke of oars, but 
she did not, and it was not until a shape loomed 
up in the dusk a little farther down the beach that 
she realized it was a boat. 

She got up and walked towards it. If it was a 
fisherman’s boat she wanted to see it, even if it 
meant being late to supper. 


BACK TO FIGHT 


205 


But it was not a fisherman’s boat, it was a 
light, high-sided row boat and the man in it stood 
up and pushed forward on his stout oars. 

He made a landing on the sand before Lucia 
reached him, and he jumped out hurriedly. 

Whatever his business was it occupied all his 
thoughts, for he did not look to right or left but 
ran straight to the wall. Another figure came 
out of the shadows to meet him. They spoke in 
whispers, but Lucia was near enough to hear what 
they said. 

She listened out of curiosity for it struck her as 
being rather strange that a man dressed in beau- 
tiful dark clothes, with a hat such as she had 
seen the men in Rome wear, should be out on the 
beach whispering in the shadow of the wall to a 
boatman. 

"When she had listened she was even more sur- 
prised. 

4 'It’s all right, I’ve fixed it, you can get aboard 
her at midnight.” The boatman’s voice was 
husky and very mysterious. 

“Be sure and be here on time,” the man re- 


206 


LUCIA EUDINI 


plied, 1 i this spot is safe, wait until the guard has 
passed and then land. If there is any danger, 
whistle.’ ’ 

The boatman nodded. “It’s a risky business,” 
he objected. 

“You will be well paid for it,” the man an- 
swered sharply. “Now go.” 

Lucia watched him disappear into the dusk and 
waited until the boatman had rowed out of sight. 
Then she straightened her hat and started for 
home, thinking very hard as she hurried along. 


CHAPTER XX 


AN INTERRUPTED SAIL 

W HEN Lucia reached the road above 
she ran as fast as she could. She had 
been so startled at what she had 
heard that her thoughts were confused. But as 
she hurried along her mind cleared. 

‘ 4 Perhaps they are all right, and the man is just 
going for a row,” she said to herself. But the 
memory of the boatman’s words returned to her. 
“It’s a risky business.” 

She did her best to attach no importance to it, 
but back in her brain was the firm conviction that 
the man with the hat was one of the Austrians that 
Roderigo had spoken of. “An Italian citizen on 
the face of things, but in their hearts — ” Lucia 
instinctively mimicked Roderigo ’s gesture. She 
knew too, that argue though she might, she would 
interfere. 

When she reached the garden she heard Beppi 
207 


208 


LUCIA RUDINI 


crying and saw a light in his window above. 
Beppi did not cry very often and by the sound she 
thought he was in pain. 

She hurried into the house and ran upstairs. 
Nana met her at the door of Beppi ’s room; she 
was wringing her hands. 

“So you are back,” she cried, “well, praise the 
Saints for that, I thought I should lose you both 
on the same day.” 

“ 4 Lose us,’ what are you talking about?” Lu- 
cia demanded, pushing past her to the bed. 

“Beppino mio, what has happened?” she asked, 
though there was little need to question for a deep 
cut in Beppi’s cheek, from which the blood spurted 
freely, was answer enough. 

“My face, Lucia, it hurts me so, make it stop 
bleeding,” Beppi pleaded, “I fell on a big rock 
in the garden.” 

“Caro mio, how long ago?” Lucia asked ex- 
citedly, “here quick, Nana, get me some hot water, 
I will wash it as I saw Sister Veronica wash the 
soldiers. There, there, darling, it will soon be 
better.” 


AN INTERRUPTED SAIL 


209 


With trembling fingers Nana and the old serv- 
ant, Amelie, brought a basin and a towel, and Lu- 
cia bathed the wound. It was a deep cut and 
poor Beppi winced as the water touched it. 

After a little the blood stopped and Lucia bound 
up his head in soft white cloths. 

“Stay by me,” Beppi begged, “don’t go way 
downstairs, I am afraid.” 

“Poor angel,” Amelie cried, “he won’t be left 
alone; old Amelie will bring up the little sister’s 
dinner and she can eat by his bedside,” and she 
hurried off, crooning to herself as she went to the 
kitchen below. 

Nana, now that she knew that Beppi was not 
going to die, started scolding him for not looking 
where he was going, but Lucia sent her down- 
stairs. 

“He is too tired to listen to-night, Nana, and 
anyway he will be careful. Do go away and rest 
a little, you must be tired.” 

When Nana had left, Lucia returned to the bed 
and sat down. She did not have any idea what 
time it was, and she knew that it would be impos- 


210 


LUCIA RUDINI 


sible to leave Beppi until he was quiet. She 
hardly touched the tempting tray that Amelie 
brought her, and her voice trembled as she asked 
what time it was. 

“Ten minutes after seven,” Amelie told her 
after she had carefully consulted the big hall 
clock. 

“Oh!” Lucia was surprised and relieved. 
She thought she must have slept for hours, but 
now she realized that in reality she had only dozed 
for a few minutes. 

She took Beppi ’s hand and set about putting 
him to sleep. It was a difficult task. She told 
him story after story, but at the end of each his 
eyes were bright and his demand for another one 
as insistent as ever. 

Lucia kept time by the chimes of the clock, and 
at ten she turned out the light. 

‘ 4 1 am coming to bed beside you, ’ ’ she explained 
as Beppi protested, “I think the light will hurt 
your head.” She took off her dress and slipped 
on her nightgown. Beppi snuggled contentedly 


AN INTERRUPTED SAIL 


211 


into her arm, and she went on with her stories. 

“Sing to me,” he asked at last, sleepily, “your 
song,” and Lucia began very softly to sing. 

“O’er sea the silver star brightly is glowing, 
Rocked now the billows are. 

Soft winds are blowing, 

Come to my bark with me. 

Come sail across the sea. 

Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia.” 

Beppi’s even breathing rewarded her efforts. 
She slipped her arm from under his head and 
stole softly out of the room just as the clock 
chimed eleven. She put on her dress hurriedly. 

The house was very still as she crept down- 
stairs and out into the garden. The stars were 
out and it was an easy matter to find her way. 
She ran until she reached the path that led to the 
shore, then she moved very cautiously. She hoped 
to reach the guard, tell him what she had heard, 
and then go home, but when she reached the beach 
she realized that she was too late. 

There was no guard in sight, but her ears de- 
tected the splash of oars, and she knew that the 


212 


LUCIA RUDINI 


boatman was coming. She crouched down beside 
the wall and waited. She watched him pull his 
boat up on shore and then walk swiftly off in the 
opposite direction from her. 

She did not know what to do, and she was 
frightened — badly frightened. The broad shin- 
ing water on one side and the hill on the other 
seemed to hem her in, and she felt lost. It was 
not like the mountains of Cellino, where she knew 
every path. 

She crouched down by the wall and waited. 
Another figure joined the boatman, and they stood 
still, a little farther up the beach. Lucia knew it 
was the man she had seen that afternoon, and she 
knew too that in a very few seconds they would 
turn around and come back to the boat. 

With a courage born of fear she jumped up and 
before she quite realized what she was doing she 
was tugging at the boat. 

It was not very high up on the beach for the 
boatman had left it so that it would be easily 
shoved off. Fortunately the tide was going out. 
Lucia’s arms were strong and she pushed with a 


AN INTERRUPTED SAIL 213 

will. The boat found the water and drifted si- 
lently away. 

Pier feet were wet, but she did not realize it. 
She crept back to the beach and flattened herself 
against the wall. The men returned. They too 
kept in the shadow of the wall. It was not until 
they were almost brushing against Lucia that the 
boatman noticed that his boat was gone. 

“The Saints preserve us!” he exclaimed. “It 
has been spirited away. I knew I should be pun- 
ished for doing such a black deed.” 

“Spirits, nonsense!” the man spoke angrily. 
“It is your own stupid carelessness, you did not 
pull it up on shore far enough. You rattlebrain 
idiot, I’ve a good mind to kill you for this. See, 
there is your boat out there — empty — go and get 
it. Do you hear?” 

“But how?” the boatman wrung his hands des- 
perately. “I do not know how to swim. I will 
die. Santa Lucia, Saint of sailormen, spare me,” 
he screamed as the man lifted his heavy cane to 
strike him. 

“Don’t you dare strike that man!” Lucia ex- 


214 LUCIA RUDINI 

claimed, “he did pull his boat up on shore, but I 
pushed it off. I heard you this afternoon, and I 
knew you wanted to go away to that big ship out 
there, and perhaps sail to Austria. I know what 
you are, you two-faced man. You speak, you 
laugh, you scold in Italian, and all the time your 
black heart is Austrian. 77 

“You shall not go away from here. I, Lucia 
Budini, tell you, you shall not! 7 7 

“Santa Lucia! A miracle! 77 The boatman 
trembled with fear, but the man was not so super- 
stitious. He caught Lucia’s arm and shook her 
roughly. 

“You did it, you little fiend, well, you shall get 
what you deserve for your meddling. 77 He mo- 
tioned to the frightened boatman. “Get me a 
rope, 1 7 11 make a gag of my handkerchief ; hurry 
man, if you are found you will be shot. 77 

“But I dare not, I dare not, she is the spirit of 
Santa Lucia. She came when I called. The 
Saints have mercy! 77 

With a growl of disgust the man turned from 


AN INTERRUPTED SAIL 215 

him and caught both of Lucia’s wrists in his firm 
clasp. Then he lifted his cane. 

‘ ‘She must not tell until we are well away,” he 
said, and brought the cane down heavily. It was 
his intention to stun Lucia, but he had miscalcu- 
lated when he expected her to stand still and re- 
ceive the blow. 

She dodged to the right and began kicking and 
struggling. The boatman wrung his hands and 
screamed for help. 

It was not many minutes before the guard, 
attracted by the noise, came running towards 
them. The man’s back was towards him, but 
Lucia saw him and stopped struggling. 

The man raised his cane again but this time he 
stopped, because the muzzle of a gun was pressing 
him between the shoulder blades. 

Lucia turned to the guard and explained hur- 
riedly. In the starlight she could see that he had 
a long scar across his face, and she felt very 
secure. 

“I know your nephew, Roderigo,” she ended, 


216 


LUCIA RUDINI 


“he helped me blow up the bridge in Cellino.” 

The soldier nodded. 

“I know about that, Senorina,” he said respect- 
fully, i ‘ and the rest of your fine deeds. You were 
born for the work it seems. Move an inch and off 
comes your head,” he turned furiously on the man 
who had tried to edge away. Then he continued 
in the soft, courteous tones he had been using. ‘ 4 1 
hope some day you will do me the honor of telling 
me of the attack yourself , , ’ he said. “It is some- 
times very lonely here while I am on guard . 1 9 

His gentle tone, and above all the flattering re- 
spect he showed, gave Lucia back her courage. 

“Of course I will come,” she said, “just as soon 
as my little brother is better. He fell and cut his 
head, and, and — well, I guess I’d better be going 
back, he may awaken and be frightened. Good 
night.” 

“Good night, Senorina,” the soldier replied, “I 
am proud to have seen you. ’ ’ 

“Now then, — ” his voice became harsh again as 
he turned to his prisoners, “go along, one wink 


AN INTERRUPTED SAIL 217 

of yotrr eyelid in the wrong direction and I will 
shoot / 1 

He marched them off quickly, and Lucia, be- 
cause the affair seemed finished, started for home. 


CHAPTER XXI 


THE END OF THE STORY 

ELL me a story/ ’ Beppi demanded 



when she was lying beside him once 
more, ‘ ‘I’m all awake again and my face 


hurts.’ ’ 

“ What shall it be about?” Lucia asked, stroking 
his hair. She was still trembling from the reac- 
tion of her adventure, and Beppi ’s warm little 
body snuggled close in her arms was comforting. 

‘ ‘ Go on with the story about the soldier and the 
bad girl that teased him, and the good girl that 
was the fairy princess. ’ ’ 

“Very well, but shut your eyes. Let me see,” 
Lucia began, ‘ 4 the soldier went off to the war, and 
when he came back he was wounded and the good 
girl took care of him, and they decided to be mar- 
ried and live happily ever after. And the bad 
girl when she saw the poor soldier wounded was 


218 


THE END OF THE STORY 


219 


sorry she had teased him, and she never did it 
again. And because she was good all kinds of 
nice things happened to her. She found her fairy 
godfather, and he had a magic carpet, and first 
thing you know she was in the middle of a beauti- 
ful garden with her little — ” 

“Oh, bother, I knew that wasn’t a real story,” 
Beppi protested. “It’s just about Roderigo and 
Maria and the Captain and you. And oh, Lucia, 
how silly you are, you called yourself the bad girl 
when really you’re the goodest in the whole 
world. ’ ’ 

“Am I, Beppino mio?” Lucia laughed. “I 
don’t think so.” 

“Well, I say you are,” Beppi replied, drowsily, 
“and the Captain thinks so too, so — ” He 
dropped off to sleep. 

“I wonder if he would say so if he had seen 
me to-night,” Lucia mused, “I had to do it, it 
was the only way, but oh, dear, I do hope I don’t 
ever hear any more wicked men again.” She 
yawned and looked towards the window. The 
first gray light of dawn streaked the sky. 


220 


LUCIA RUDINI 


< ‘ I guess I ’ll stay in the garden with Beppi and 
Nana and Garibaldi, and wait for my fairy god- 
father’s return,” she said as she closed her eyes. 

As if to echo her words a faint “naa,” came up 
from the stable yard below. Garibaldi was agree- 
ing with her mistress. 


THE END 


THE SOMEWHERE SERIES 

BY MARTHA TRENT 

Cloth, i2mo. Illustrated 
With picture inlay and wrapper 

Per volume, 50 cents postpaid 

Around a central figure, “half girl, half 
boy, and the better half of each,” the 
author has written a fascinating story 
laying the plot first in America and sub- 
sequently, in the other stories, in other 
countries. The author’s intimate know- 
ledge and deep insight into the life and 
surroundings of the young heroines in the 
various countries add distinct educational 
value to the pronounced charm and 
quaintness of the stories. 

A peculiarly timely series of books for young readers 
who have been following the progress of the war. 

1 HELEN CAREY: 

SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA 

2 MARIEKEN DE BRUIN: 

SOMEWHERE IN BELGIUM 

3 ALICE BLYTHE: 

SOMEWHERE IN ENGLAND 

4 VALERIE DUVAL: 

SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE 

5 LUCIA RUDINI: 

SOMEWHERE IN ITALY 

For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage prepaid) on receipt of price 
by the publishers. 



BARSE & HOPKINS 
PUBLISHERS 


28 West 23rd Street 


New York 



THE MARY JANE SERIES 

BY CLARA INGRAM JUDSON 

Cloth, i2mo. Illustrated 
With picture inlay and wrapper 
Per volume, 50 cents 

Mary Jane is the typical American 
little girl who bubbles over with fun 
and the good things in life. We meet 
her here on a visit to her grandfather’s 
farm where she becomes acquainted with 
farm life and farm animals and thoroughly 
enjoys the experience. We next see her 
going to kindergarten. 

Exquisitely and charmingly written, these are three books 
which every little girl from five to nine years old will want 
to read. 

1 MARY JANE — HER BOOK 

2 MARY JANE — HER VISIT 

3 MARY JANE’S KINDERGARTEN 

For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage prepaid) on receipt of price 
by publishers. 


BARSE & HOPKINS 
PUBLISHERS 



?8 West 23rd Street 


New York 


STORIES FOR CHILDREN 

(From four to nine years old) 

THE KNEETIME ANIMAL STORIES 

BY RICHARD BARNUM 


K* 

1 El TTMEAWftUi. STOSS 

it m -f* m 

SQUINTY 

THE COMICAL PIG 

t 

i 

gH 

RICHARD BARNUM 


In all nursery literature animals have 
played a conspicuous part; and the reason 
is obvious for nothing entertains a child 
more than the antics of an animal. These 
stories abound in amusing incidents such 
as children adore and the characters are 
so full of life, so appealing to a child’s 
imagination, that none will be satisfied until 
they have met all of their favorites — 
Squinty, Slicko, Mappo, Turn Turn, etc. 


1 SQUINTY, THE COMICAL PIG. 

2 SLICKO, THE JUMPING SQUIRREL. 

3 MAPPO, THE MERRY MONKEY. 

4 TUM TUM, THE JOLLY ELEPHANT. 

5 DON, A RUNAWAY DOG. 

6 DIDO, THE DANCING BEAR. 

7 BLACKIE, A LOST CAT. 

8 FLOP EAR, THE FUNNY RABBIT. 

9 TINKLE, THE TRICK PONY. 

10 LIGHTFOOT, THE LEAPING GOAT. 

11 CHUNKY, THE HAPPY HIPPO. 

12 SHARP EYES, THE SILVER FOX. 

Cloth , Large 12mo., Illustrated, Per vol. 50 cents 

For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage paid) on receipt of price by 
the publishers. 


Publishers 


BARSE & HOPKINS 
28 West 23rd Street 


New York 


BOOKS FOR BOYS 

From eight to twelve years old 


THE BOBBY BLAKE SERIES 

BY FRANK A. WARNER. 

True stories of life at a modern Ameri- 
can boarding school. Bobby attends this 
institution of learning with his particular 
chum and the boys have no end of good 
times. The tales of outdoor life, espe- 
cially the exciting times they have when 
engaged in sports against rival schools, are 
written in a manner so true, so realistic, 
that the reader, too, is bound to share with 
these boys their thrills and pleasures. 

1 BOBBY BLAKE AT ROCKLEDGE SCHOOL, 

Or, Winning the Medal of Honor. 

2 BOBBY BLAKE AT BASS COVE, 

Or, The Hunt for the Motor Boat Gem. 

3 BOBBY BLAKE ON A CRUISE, 

Or, The Castaways of Volcano Island. 

4 BOBBY BLAKE AND HIS SCHOOL CHUMS, 

Or, The Rivals at Rockledge. 

5 BOBBY BLAKE AT SNOWTOP CAMP, 

Or, Winter Holidays in the Big Woods. 

6 BOBBY BLAKE ON THE SCHOOL NINE, 

. Or, The Champions of the Monatook Lake League. ; 

7 BOBBY BLAKE ON A RANCH, 

Or, The Secret of the Mountain Cave. 

(Other volumes in preparation.) 

Cloth, Large 12mo., Illustrated, Per vol. 75 cents 

For sale at all bookstores or sent (postage paid) on receipt of price 
by the publishers. 



Publishers 


BARSE HOPKINS 
28 West 23rd Street 


New York 


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